Irrational
by A Thousand Undiscovered Stars
Summary: AU. The Cullens never returned in New Moon because Bella never jumped from the cliff. Instead, Victoria got past the wolves and tried to change Bella. But Bella was already going through a little change of her own. Ten years later, the Cullens return to Forks, frantic after hearing of Bella's 'disappearance'. What happens when they discover her secret? Bella/Alice. Futa. Darkward.
1. The End And The Beginning

**Disclaimer: Twilight, in no way, shape, or form, belongs to me…**

**A/N: No, I should not be posting a new story, but I couldn't help myself. So, a few things to know: 1) This story is a Bella/Alice romantic pairing. If you don't like it, please don't read it. 2) This story begins the day of Bella's cliff dive but the majority takes place ten years in the future. 3) The Cullens did not return to Forks and Alice did not see Bella in her visions. 4) Harry Clearwater died two years before Bella moved to Forks, and Charlie and Sue began dating during the summer of Bella's arrival in Forks. 5) The entire pack views Bella as their one of them. Okay, that should be it! Now, read and review, please!**

_**Irrational**_

"_Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made." – Bella, New Moon_

**Chapter One: The End… And The Beginning**

_Bella_

I stood out on the cliff face, waiting. With my arms wrapped firmly around my chest, I laughed once; it was an emotionless, almost dead sound. Yet, it was true. Always, I waited. It seemed to be almost an inevitable part of life for me.

I waited for Jacob when he was out hunting Victoria. He and his wolf brothers, who were so sure of themselves that they couldn't possibly see things clearly, couldn't see the danger past their pride at their recent victory over Laurent. They tried so hard to protect me, the "leech lover". I was grateful to them for it, but I knew they shouldn't have bothered. She would come, I knew. It was only a matter of when.

I waited for this insatiable, crippling pain to cease to exist, or at least to fade until it reached a more bearable degree. It struck me fiercely, without mercy, and I never knew how much was just enough to set it off. The ache was ever present. Jacob's presence helped, but even he couldn't make the phantom throb in my chest go away. He could only stifle it, never putting out the raging fire completely.

I waited for Victoria to finally come and end this. She would come and she would take her revenge on me, not knowing that he wouldn't care. Not knowing that her revenge would be incomplete. But she would end it, this sick game in which I was never truly a player but merely the unwanted prize, her consolation for the death of her one true mate.

I waited… I swallowed thickly before pressing on, releasing their names from the iron box I'd held them in. I waited for them to come back, even if I wouldn't admit it to anyone else. I waited for… Edward. Alice. Esme. Emmett. Carlisle. Jasper. Rosalie. I waited for them all, even as I acknowledged the fact that they were never coming back – Edward had made that perfectly clear. I shuddered as I remembered that, my darkest day…

_`~ Flashback ~`_

_I stood there, after he led me into the forest, my unease reaching its peak after these days of tense silence. I wanted to speak. I wanted to apologize… for anything, for everything. I opened my mouth to do so, but I never got the chance as he turned to face me._

_His face was cold and his eyes, those golden orbs that had always shone molten gold, were scathing twin chips of ice. "We're leaving." Two words, as simple a sentence as can be, and yet I couldn't understand them, couldn't comprehend them. Because when he spoke his voice was as cold as his eyes and it cut me deeper than James' teeth had in Phoenix._

"_I – " I couldn't speak. I shook my head. "I'll come with you," I said strongly, but I could already feel the desperation and despair sinking in. "I can leave a note for Charlie and we can leave," I rushed the words out, falling deeper into the darkness with every syllable that left my lips._

_He hissed at me and I froze. "I don't want you to come with me, Bella," he spit out and I felt my breath coming faster, now. "The humans are noticing that we're not aging. My family and I are done playing human and it's time that we found a new pet," he said, smirking cruelly. Pet? Me… I started to shake lightly. Of course. But, no…_

"_Alice…" I barely breathed her name, shaking my head in denial once more. "Esme. Emmett." Their names brought me the barest of comforts. Alice loved me. She loved me… Right?_

_He laughed harshly. "Alice is already gone. Human girls aren't even a dime a dozen. The only reason she took any interest in you is because Rosalie got tired of being her Barbie doll and she wanted a new one."_

_I shook my head. "No…" I mumbled, not wanting to believe it. "Please," I looked at him, and I knew that I was begging – I didn't care. I would get down on my knees and beg, I would do anything, if only this nightmare would end._

"_Esme was bored; she needed something to do. You were just an amusement for Emmett. He needed a new toy to play with and you fit the bill perfectly with your pathetic clumsiness," he laughed cruelly and I felt the tears falling._

_He leaned closer, then. "And me? I just wanted a good little slut to distract myself while in this godforsaken town. My one regret is that I didn't get to fuck you before we left. I could have, of course. But you made it all too easy. Oh, well," he shrugged. "You weren't good enough for me and I didn't love you, so it doesn't matter." His casual statement shattered whatever denial there was left in me and a sob left my mouth._

_I couldn't deny the truth of his words. I knew that I wasn't good enough for him; I had always known it. Still, I had been naïve enough to hope for the impossible. He grinned and leaned in closer. I was too stunned and broken to move away as I should have._

"_Oh, and Bella? Try to take care of yourself, for Charlie's sake at least. I may not, but he just might care if something happened to you. We won't be back, so don't bother even trying to look for us. Goodbye, love." His voice was a mocking whisper as he spoke the often-used term of endearment he used to have for me._

_And then he was gone._

_It was stupid, I knew, but I couldn't stop myself from running after him. I may have screamed his name, but I doubt it. I was too numb to speak, too numb to feel anything other than the darkness that was consuming me as I searched._

_They were gone. He was gone. And… she was gone. They weren't coming back. That was it. Life, love, meaning… over._

_`~ End Flashback ~`_

I groaned from the pain of that forbidden memory. I barely noticed that I was on my knees, clutching desperately at my sides – until I heard it. A twig snapped behind me and I scrambled to my feet, my breathing labored.

Victoria stood before me, in all her wild, feline glory, and I could feel my pulse racing in my veins. Not solely because of her though. For the past month, I had felt my pulse racing, off and on. My temperature rose and fell sporadically and I had random fits of shivers. I hadn't bothered to see a doctor seeing as it didn't affect me negatively in any way that I could tell; I hated hospitals and didn't think that I could handle going to the hospital and having another doctor, anyway.

"Well, well, well," she purred, moving closer to my motionless form. "If it isn't little Bella Swan. Unfortunately, I don't have much time. Your little wolf friends will be along soon. But, I just want to ask. How does it feel knowing that you were _nothing _to them?" She smirked when I flinched before she blurred to stand directly in front of me. "Now, you'll live with my pain forever."

That was the last thing I heard before I felt her teeth cut into my neck. It was also the last thing I felt before the shaking reached its peak. I let out a yell of pure pain and rage… which morphed halfway through into a vicious growl. I felt my body fall forward and I landed on all fours.

I acted without thinking, leaping forward to tear at Victoria in a haze of anger and torment. I could feel the venom even as I tore her head from her shoulders. The harsh sound of metal rang in my ears as I tore apart her body, barely conscious of what I was doing through the haze of pain.

Suddenly, my body shuddered and I felt to the ground, my growl cutting off to be replaced once more by my scream. It was then that I caught sight of the wolves and Jacob in his human form. They appeared shocked. The last thing I heard before I fell into an abyss of pain and confusion was the sound of Jacob screaming my name…

Everything was dark. It was empty all around me, filled with a nothingness that pressed close against me but left me feeling absolutely, utterly alone. And still I burned. I could feel myself changing, in more ways than one. My body was shifting restlessly, sometimes in a human-turning-vampire form and sometimes… something else.

My body temperature was shifting wildly and sporadically between the two extremes – burning hot and icy cold. There was no more middle ground and I felt an almost disconnected sensation of writhing on the ground. And the pain went on…

I couldn't say how long I stayed in the darkness or how long the icy burning continued, but I counted each precious second from the very instant that it started to fade. Because all the time that I had been in the abyss, my memories played out cruelly before me.

I saw it all differently, now. It was as though a switch had been thrown and I could see all the flaws in mine and Edward's relationship before. It felt almost as if I could somehow feel, instinctively, that he was wrong, bad for me, in a way that I had been unable to before. And he was wrong for me. He was too controlling, too overbearing, and I couldn't fathom how I had put up with, much less enjoyed, it before. Now? Now, it just made me sick to think about it.

But the pain never relented. The phantom ache that plagued my empty chest never faded or ceased in its endless torment. I still felt that same restless, heartbroken longing – just not for Edward. No, my pain was no longer for him. The problem was: I didn't know who it was for, anymore, and it was an agonizing feeling to know that I was cursed to feel this pain without even knowing the reason.

Though I had ceased to hold any positive regard for my once-lover, I still held every drop of my unceasing love for his family – the family I had once called my own. But I did not allow myself to dwell on them. They were my past, and my future was an uncertainty that could not be allowed to remain clouded if I was to survive. The La Push shape shifters would not take kindly to my ongoing transformation; I could only hope that our friendship would ensure my safety in the coming days.

I could feel it, now. The venom was fading from my extremities, moving towards my heart in a fiery march leading my heart to its last beat. The darkness was fading and I could hear voices fading in and out of my hearing, now. I couldn't hold back my scream as my back arched before my body relaxed and, with one last thump, my heart stopped. Automatically, I took a deep breath, the air rushing into my lungs, carrying with it any number of extraordinary, overwhelming scents.

I took a few more breaths before I opened my eyes, catching sight of a familiar cloudy sky above me. It was amazing to see just how many things I had been blind to when I was human, the first of which I noticed was an eighth color to the rainbow that I had no name for.

"Bella?" I looked up at the sound of my name, moving to sit up slowly. I could hear the hesitation in his voice and he gasped when I looked at him.

"Hey, Jake," I greeted him, surprised by the sound of my voice. I had assumed that it would sound similar to the Cullens' voices, but mine was different. It sounded even smoother than theirs, but more natural somehow, almost as though there was a purr to it…

"Bells… What?" Jacob seemed at a loss as to what to ask first before he blinked and shook his head, swallowing loudly. He snapped out of it and looked at me seriously. "Are you thirsty?" he asked cautiously and I tilted my head to the side.

I hummed quietly in the back of my throat before shaking my head. "I feel a little hungry, actually," I mused and he looked shocked once more. "What day is it?" I asked. It had been Thursday, March 16 when Victoria bit me, so…

"Bella… It's been seven days," he said slowly and my mouth dropped open in shock. A week?! But… my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The transformation was only supposed to take three days…

I shook my head as I heard footsteps coming towards us. I could think about it later, I decided, and I glanced behind Jacob to see the rest of the pack appearing in human form. "Hey, guys," I said, smiling to put them at ease.

They looked just as blown away as Jake had and I wondered what it was that had them so surprised. Sam recovered first, frowning slightly. "Bella?" he asked cautiously and I nodded.

I realized what must be bothering him and hurried to reassure him. "It's alright, Sam. I'm perfectly in control. I would never hurt the pack or anyone else on the Reservation," I said firmly and he seemed to relax a little. I guess he had some knowledge of the usual ferocity of newborn vampires and was satisfied that I wasn't like them. Which I found odd, actually, but I wasn't about to question it. I felt normal, almost, just better, and I liked it.

"Bella, we need to talk to you about some things," Jake began and I nodded. "What do you remember?" he asked.

I thought about it before answering in a puzzled tone of voice. "I remember everything. I still have all of my human memories, for some reason. I was out on the cliffs and Victoria found me…" I hesitated, frowning when I went on. "I'm not exactly sure what was going on after that. I… I tore her apart, but…" I trailed off helplessly.

The pack exchanged glances and Sam stepped forward. "Bella, we got there just as you got bitten. You… You shifted into a large white tiger and ripped her to pieces," he said slowly and my eyes widened.

Embry grinned next to his Alpha and spoke up excitedly. "And check it out! Your eyes are blue!" he said, smiling widely, making my eyebrows furrow in confusion.

I looked at Jake, my eyes full of questions. He nodded and pulled a small mirror out of his pocket. I held it up and was shocked at what I saw. In the mirror was a stranger. She had long, silky, black hair; bright blue eyes that were had a silvery sheen; and snowy white skin. She was also extraordinarily beautiful. I opened my mouth to say something and the woman in the mirror did the same thing. It was me, but not.

I looked away from the mirror and stood carefully, taking a deep breath and handing the handheld mirror back to my best friend. "So, what happens now?" I asked, looking at Sam.

He deliberated for a moment before smiling a genuine smile. "You may be part vampire, but from what I can see you're not like the others. As long as you stay as in control of yourself as you are now, you're more than welcome to stay with us on the Reservation," he said in a serious, but kind, voice, holding out his hand for me to shake.

I grinned and took it. "Thank you," I said sincerely. The rest of the pack whooped, rushing to surround us and hug me. Once the giant group hug broke up, I looked at Jared. "Where are we?" I asked curiously and he shrugged.

"Just out in the middle of the forest. We're on the other side of the Rez from Emily and Sam's house," he informed me and I grinned.

"Well, what do you say I try to shift and we see who's faster?" I suggested, earning several excited yells of 'yes' from the pack. I laughed at their enthusiasm before I questioned them. "So, how do you think I should do this?"

Sam cocked his head to the side a bit before telling the others to move back, while walking backward to the edge of the small clearing. "Just try to focus on the animal side of. You should be able to feel it. Reach for the tiger and call it forward," he instructed me and I nodded.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and searched inside myself. I could feel it; he was right. I breathed steadily as I called to it, feeling the rush of power. My eyes snapped open and I jumped forward by instinct. When I hit the ground, I was on all fours and I could tell by the amazement in the boys' eyes that I had clearly been successful.

Of course, Quil broke the silence. "Dude, how come her clothes don't get shredded when she shifts?" he complained, making us all burst into laughter. Then again, mine was mental laughter because I couldn't exactly laugh normally when I was a tiger, but…

I shook my head. _I'm just cool like that, Quil. _They all froze, looking at me in wonder. I tilted my head to the side. _Why are they looking at me like that? _

"B-Bella?" Jake stuttered and I looked at him curiously. "Did you just…" He paused. "Think of a number, but think of it like you were speaking to us," he said quickly.

I looked at him like he was crazy but did as he said. _17._

"17," the entire pack said, stunned. I was shocked. Did they hear me? Wait… He said to think about it like I was speaking, so… _So, you can hear whatever thoughts I want you to?_

They nodded. "Sweet," Quil and Embry said at the same time and I shook my head while the boys laughed at them.

_So, how about that race?_ They grinned and ran into the woods to shift. When they came back I was almost surprised that I could hear them.

"_So, on the count of three?" Sam's voice appeared in my mind._

"_Sure thing," I replied and we all lined up._

"_One… Two… Three!" Sam counted, and as soon as he reached three I took off as fast as I could._

I easily passed them and as I ran I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and peace rush through me. It was an incredible feeling and I never wanted it to end. But the pain, the longing was still there. I had my new family around me, but they couldn't replace my old family. All I could do was try to live through it. And, with them by my side, I knew that I could do it without the vampire family I called my own at one time. It just didn't mean that I wanted to…

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: So, what do you think of the story so far? The reason for Bella shifting will be explained in future chapters, just to let you know. Also, something I left out in the author's note at the top of the chapter, Edward lovers may not exactly be thrilled with me at the end of this story. Just a fair warning – I really hate Edward's character most of the time, for personal reasons. Updates every two weeks, sometimes sooner! Anyway, I hope you all liked the chapter! Thanks for reading, everyone, now review, please!**

**Story Recommendation: A Choice Between Three Good Things by Belmione. Summary: "So the way Jacob feels about me. You feel the same way?" Alice nodded, heavy shame written all over her delicate features. "So, you're in love with me?" Alice closed her eyes. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "Deeply." Alice/Bella.**

**~ Katharine**


	2. Going Back to Find A Way Forward

**Guest ("Like it so far but why the change in Bella's hair color?"): I chose to make that change because of the color of her fur. The Quileute wolves often have some physical feature that ties in with the color of their coat, so I decided to make that change.**

**Guest ("nice first chapter I'm intrigue. my guess is Bella had some dormant werecat or something similar and the attack cause her to shift and the venom made a half vampire half were.): That will actually be explained in later chapters, so just hold on a little longer. You're not too far off, though.**

**Guest ("I know you just updated today, but I can't wait for the next one. Please update again soon!"): I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and, as you can see, I did manage to update relatively soon. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as the first!**

**me ("awesome beginning, can't wait for the rest. congrats"): Thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope you like the new chapter!**

**Guest ("Pretty cool. I hope she doesn't join their pack though."): Bella will not be joining the Quileute pack. There will be a further explanation in Chapter 3. I'm glad you liked the first chapter! Thanks for reading.**

**Sara ("Good, plz more soon"): I'm glad that you liked it, and I hope you like this chapter as well. Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

_**Irrational**_

"_Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made." – Bella, New Moon_

**Chapter Two: Going Back to Find A Way Forward**

_Alice_

It's been ten years. The date is March 16, 2016. It's been ten years, six months, and three days since the last time that I saw her. Isabella Marie Swan. Bella. My best friend and so much more. And it was all wrong.

It was wrong because we should never have left. _I _should never have left. Every day I regretted that decision with everything in me. I felt so unbelievably beyond stupid. I had fought against that stupid bastard when he demanded that we go, but it was no use.

Carlisle, of course, stood behind his golden boy son. Sure, we held family meetings and had votes when it came to important decisions, but Carlisle was still the head of the family and our coven leader. In general, his decisions held and when he enforced his will, we fell into line.

Esme was the most compassionate person you could ever meet. Everything in her was focused towards our family. She took care of us and loved us better than any mother could and we all loved her for it. Bella was one of her children – her youngest daughter – but Carlisle was her mate, and she supported him.

Emmett fought almost as hard as I did. Bella was his little sister and he loved her like one. He did his best to protect her the same way that he tried to protect all of us. It was in his nature, but he couldn't shield us from Edward's stupidity and arrogance. In the end, he had to bow to our father's wishes, just like the rest of us.

Rosalie never made any secret of her distaste for Bella. She didn't think that it was right to involve a human in our world, but she never held it against Bella herself. After a while, they grew closer, though. Rose even started to consider the human girl her little sister. But that didn't change her views on what we were. When Edward gave the command for us to leave, she agreed to go because, no matter how much she liked Bella, she still didn't think that she should be sentenced to this life.

Jasper never got the opportunity to be close to Bella like the rest of us. Her scent was too tempting and he couldn't control his thirst as well as the rest of us since he was newer to this way of life than we were. Besides, the controlling bastard never let him near her, anyway. But he stood by me in my decision. It just wasn't enough.

And me? I kicked and screamed and yelled and fought. But it didn't do any good. The righteous idiot was too hardheaded and vain to listen to anyone else when he had already made up his mind to follow his twisted sense of right and wrong. I was outvoted. And then we left.

I should never have left, anyway. It was decided that the family would leave Forks, but I could have made the decision to stay on my own. But I was too confused.

I had known from the beginning that Bella and I would be great friends – just like I told her when we first met. But it grew to be so much more than that. I started to think of her like my sister and we could understand each other in ways that neither of us had ever known before. And then things started to change…

It wasn't noticeable at first. They were little things. I was always a very close-contact person, but it was just a little more with Bella. That was fine. She would smile and laugh. She called me Ali-cat and said that maybe I really was a cat in another life, I was so cuddly. Then it was the way that I watched her. Whenever she stepped into the room, my eyes followed her, and no matter what I was doing my attention would stray to her, checking on her. Again, no big deal.

But the day that I found myself wishing that she didn't have to go home to sleep – and coming up with ways to convince Charlie to let her stay over on a school night – just so that I would have a little more time with her, and then later literally counting down the time until it was time to leave for school… It was then that I started to realize that I didn't just think of her as my sister.

And it just snowballed from there. I began noticing things about her that I never saw before then. Like the way that she twisted her hair around her finger when she was thinking about something. Or the way that she always tilted her head a little to the side when she asked a question. How her eyes darkened to the point where they were almost black when she was angry or frustrated or sad about something. The way that she made me feel just by looking at me. Her eyes, her smile, her laugh. And her body…

I was in love with her and it felt so right whenever I was with her… But then she would go home, and I would see Jasper, _my husband. _And that was when reality set in. He could tell that something was wrong, but he never pushed me on it. He felt all the guilt and confusion that I experienced, and he was there by my side – but that just made it all the worse.

Still, I tried to convince myself that I would get over it. I loved Jasper, right? He was my husband and everything would be fine. It was just a phase and I would get through it, and everything would go back to normal. But then we left. And it didn't.

After we left Forks, we decided to go to our house in Alaska. Of course, the jackass that started the whole mess left like the coward that he was, leaving us to deal with the fallout from his ridiculous choice, all the while acting like the martyr he thought himself to be. Jasper and I rented an apartment not far from the family home and it just fell it apart faster, there.

He finally confronted me about it, in classic Jasper fashion. He listened patiently as I spilled everything to him. I told him about all of it and he let me tell him. When I was done, he smiled sadly and told me that he was sorry. When I asked him why, he said that even though he was sad to lose me, he wasn't the one who had lost his true mate. I broke down, then. I sobbed for hours because I was forced to throw away the girl that should have been mine and I wasn't strong enough to stand up to my family for what was best for her.

That was just a month after our departure from Washington. We "got a divorce", which in our world really just meant that we moved back into the family home and got separate rooms for all our stuff. Jasper, ever the sweet Southern gentleman, told the family that it was a personal matter that broke us up, rather than tell them my secret. But I decided that it had gone on long enough. I told them and they were all sympathetic. None of them really thought that Bella was Edward's mate, but he had claimed her and she loved him, so they went along with it. When I told them, Esme and Rose sent the boys out hunting and we talked about it for hours, comforting each other over the girl we all loved but that I was _in _love with.

None of us were ever the same, though. Carlisle spent four years at the local hospital and my siblings and I attended college again. Esme cleaned the house and worked on her designs, but it was different. Carlisle tried to bury himself in his work more than ever before. Esme didn't sing or cook anymore because they were things that she and Bella had done together. Emmett didn't play video games anymore because it reminded him of how he tried to teach his little sister so that she could play with him. Instead, he took out his anger on the forests nearby. Rose started fixing up antique cars – mostly trucks – and there were a few more broken trees than even one vampire could break alone. Jasper threw himself into his reading with an intensity he usually reserved for hunting. And I…

I started spending a lot of time on the roof. And, without even realizing it, I always sat so that I was facing the direction of Forks, of Bella, of home. I thought about her constantly as I watched the snow come down, barely noticing it as it stuck to my icy skin. I never noticed how much time passed. I thought about her constantly. She was always on my mind and every second I fought myself not to go back. I kept telling myself that the damage was done. She would be okay. My bastard brother would go back to her.

But he didn't. And now, I was sitting on the couch in our home in New York City. We had been there for just two years. The others were all occupying themselves elsewhere in the house, including Edward. He finally came back three years before, a smile on his face a sob story ready to spin. We all just ignored him. No one cared anymore, what he said. He destroyed everything, and he wouldn't find forgiveness from anyone but Carlisle and Esme even after hell froze over.

I had the news on in the background, but I didn't think much of it. That is, until I got an unexpected vision. "Will everyone come down here, please?" I called quietly, and they all stopped what they were doing. A moment later, they entered the room.

Jasper and Kiara came last. Kiara came to our family when she met Jasper on one of his trips to visit his old friends, Peter and Charlotte. They were mates and she became another sister to me. She knew about everything, so she never worried about my still-close friendship with Jasper.

Edward and I were no longer siblings, as far as either of us were concerned. He was so set in his antiquated, old-fashioned ways. He was disgusted by my love for Bella and sneered that it was good that we had left when we had – "it saved her from having to deal with the immoral filth that you wanted to taint her with", in his words.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked, a concerned expression on his face. It had been a while since I had gotten a vision without seeking it out, first. We had kept to ourselves more than usual, so there had been no reason for me to get one. I had tried and failed to 'see' Bella, which worried us, but…

I shook my head. "I don't know. I just know that it's something that will affect us all and it's going to come on the news in about ten seconds," I murmured, and Esme got the remote, turning the volume up on the television.

When the time came, we all watched attentively, confusion present in all of us. They were currently going through a list of long-time missing persons, asking people to please remember them and notify the police if they spotted any of them. _"One other young woman disappeared from the small town of Forks, Washington with no evidence as to where she may have gone or been taken. She was eighteen years old, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and pale skin." _That was enough to make all of us freeze. But then they showed a picture. The last thing we heard before the commercial came on was her name. _"Isabella Swan."_

Instantly, there was chaos. I felt like I was drowning, as if that were possible. She was missing. She disappeared just six months after we left her. She had been missing all this time…

"Enough!" Edward shouted and we all glared at him incredulously. "We're going back," he said simply, walking off, presumably to pack his bags. I would have dragged him back downstairs and ripped his ass to pieces, but I was already ten years too late to save her and I'd be damned if I waited another second.

An immeasurable amount of time later, I found myself stepping out of the car in front of a house that I never thought I would see again. The nerves that I was feeling were almost enough to make me change my mind about this – almost. But nothing could keep me from Bella when I knew that she needed me.

I stepped up to the door with Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie by my side. We decided that it would be better if just the four of us showed up here. But the second that we stepped out of the car, we immediately knew that something was wrong.

Rose hissed quietly. "Wolves," she muttered and Carlisle frowned in confusion. I hadn't met the wolves before, but I had heard the stories from the first time the family was here.

Esme shushed her. "We don't know anything yet, Rose. Let's just talk to Charlie and find out about… Bella, first," she swallowed and we all winced at her name, but my sister nodded reluctantly.

Carlisle knocked on the door and we heard Charlie moving towards it. If my heart was still beating, it would have been pounding away in my chest. The familiar brown eyes of Charlie Swan – and _her _– widened as he saw us standing at his front door, right before they narrowed in anger. "Carlisle," he said sternly and my father nodded.

"Charlie, I just wanted to let you know that we never knew about Bella's… disappearance. If we had, we would have come back immediately to help search for her," Carlisle apologized sincerely. I couldn't wait any longer and pushed forward to stand beside him.

"Please, Charlie. I know that it was all our fault, but please. You have to help us," I begged. "I have to find her!" His eyes softened just barely when he looked at me, but his face retained its stony, impassive expression.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I can't help you. It was ten years ago. Bella's gone," he replied quietly, but leaving no room for argument. He shook his head, sighing. "It was nice to see you again, but there's nothing that you can do now," Charlie said firmly before closing the door and walking away.

I stayed put for a moment, too shocked to move. I couldn't believe that that was it. No, that couldn't be it. I didn't know why Charlie seemed so resigned to it, but I wasn't giving up. She was my mate, and I was going to fight for her this time, the way that I didn't know to do before, the way that I should have fought for my best friend years ago.

I snapped out of my thoughts when Esme gently led me back to the car. "We'll have to find a way to access the police report so that we have an idea of what happened," Carlisle said thoughtfully. "Then, we can start our search," he added decisively as he started the car.

Esme and Rose were in the back seat with me, one on each side, comforting me. "It'll be alright, sweetheart. We'll find her. I promise you," my mother murmured soothingly, running her hand up and down my back while Rosalie held my arm close to her and squeezed my hand gently.

"We'll bring her back and it will all be okay," my sister reassured me. I wished that I could believe them. But I just couldn't. So I said nothing, merely nodding in response to their efforts to soothe me.

Once we arrived at the house, the others had pulled the sheets from the furniture and turned the lights on. I shuddered as I stepped inside. This was the last place that I saw her…

"Well," Edward demanded and I glared at him as we all gathered around the living room. "What did he say?" I made sure to take a seat as far away from him as possible. Esme, at least, wouldn't be pleased if I ripped him to shreds.

Carlisle grimaced and sighed. "He didn't tell us anything, actually. He said that there was nothing that we could do and that she was gone. It was like… Well, no. Charlie… He gave up," he admitted and everyone frowned.

"So, what are we going to do?" Emmett asked solemnly. After that, I stopped paying as much attention. I could feel despair creeping over me. It was hard enough when I believed that she was safe – but to know that we had truly left for nothing and that anything could have happened to her, could be happening to her right that minute? It was just too much.

I couldn't handle it anymore, so, while Jasper and the jackass argued, I slipped towards the back door. Esme was the only one to notice, but I gave her a helpless, pleading look, and she understood. She gave me a soft, understanding smile and nodded, mouthing just one word: "Go."

That was all it took. I bolted swiftly, but silently, out the door and into the trees, crossing the river almost before I realized it. I just had to get out of there. I paid no attention to where I was going – it didn't matter, anyway. Nothing mattered after we left this place, after we left _her._

I could feel the sobs rising in my chest. I should have been there when it happened. I should never have left in the first place! I should have been right there by her side, always. I wanted to cry. I wanted tears to roll down my face as I cried for what I had lost, what I had so foolishly left behind. But most of all, I wanted to cry for her, for what she lost.

When I looked up, I gasped. I hadn't even realized that my feet had brought me there – the best and worst place that I could have been at that time. I was standing in the small clearing at the top of the waterfall that I had discovered almost twelve years ago. It was the most beautiful place that I had found in Forks and I always went there to be alone – none of the family had ever been there before… Until Bella.

She was the only person that I took there, and I still remembered the awed look on her face when she saw it for the first time. And then she had faced me with a soft smile on her face, trust and love in her eyes as she looked at me and thanked me for trusting her enough to bring her to my sanctuary.

I didn't know how long I sat there before a smooth voice came from behind me and made me stiffen in shock. "I heard you were looking for me?" I stood quickly, whirling to face the female whose voice I had heard. My eyes widened when I saw her.

She looked like no one I had ever seen before. She had black hair so dark that there was no hint of any other color, even when seen through my sharp eyes. Her own eyes were a dark, crystal clear blue, with a silver sheen that flickered across the top. The woman (and she was clearly a woman. She looked to be only eighteen, but she had a presence that negated her physical youth) had skin that was snowy white just like my own. And she stood at a height of 5'6", just two inches taller than my own 5'4". But none of that was what made me gasp.

It was the feeling of electricity that shot through me the second I saw her. It felt like coming home after being away for the longest time, and I could have sworn that I heard my heart beating once more just at the sight of her. But that couldn't possibly be right. Because the only person that had ever made me feel like that was… No. Impossible. But I didn't understand what she meant before and I frowned slightly in confusion.

"What's the matter, Alice? Don't you recognize me?" she asked coolly, one eyebrow raised and I shivered at the sound of her voice, the sparks that it ignited in me. No. This wasn't right. The only person that ever made feel like that was… Something flashed in her eyes at exactly that moment. And I knew.

I froze instantly. No… It couldn't be. I stood there in disbelief. But I knew it was true. Because no one made me feel like she did, and no one else would know how to find me here. It was her… My best friend. The girl that my family and I abandoned. My mate. I don't know what I would have said had I been able to think, but as it was I could only manage to breathe one word through my shock. "Bella…"

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Well, what do you think? Now that the Cullens are back and looking for a missing girl who never left the town they abandoned her in, what will happen? And what will happen between Alice and Bella? Review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading everyone!**

**Story Recommendation: Future Seen Darkly by DarkBella. Summary: An embittered Bella waited fifty years in Forks for the Cullens to come back now Aro offers her a second chance... Alice/Bella. – It's an amazing story and it's complete, so check it out!**

**~ Katharine**


	3. Reflections and Memories

**Guest (I love it!): Thanks, I'm glad that you're enjoying it!**

**Guest (Please update again soon!): Unfortunately, I wasn't able to update again as soon as I would have liked, but I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

**Ryan68 (I love it! It's well written, well thought out, and it has completely hooked me since I started the first chapter. This is one of the best beginnings I've ever read for a Bellice story. I'm addicted. I NEED you to continue. I think I'll physically die if you don't update soon...PLEASE!): Thank you very much. I'm glad that you liked it, and I apologize for not updating sooner. Thank you very much for reading! **

**A/N: Something I forgot to add: In this story, Bella is independently wealthy. She just never flaunted it like the Cullens did; she inherited her money from her grandmother on Renee's side.**

_**Irrational**_

"_Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made." – Bella, New Moon_

**Chapter Three: Reflections and Memories**

_Bella_

It's been over a decade, now, since I've seen them. When the Cullens abandoned me, they left me broken and without any way of repairing the damage. They left me behind and discarded me like a pair of old shoes, and sometimes I want to hate them for that. But I can't. Because, no matter how hard I try, I still love them. I'm furious, don't get me wrong, but I could never let go of that deep, irreversible affection that lingered within me for the family that I once called my own.

First, there was Carlisle. Carlisle was the head of the family. His compassionate and calm nature made him the perfect person to support and lead them all. For the brief time that I had known him, I had considered Carlisle to be a sort of second father to me. He was the one to pick me up and patch up my wounds when I fell, and I had genuinely looked up to and respected him.

Of course, you couldn't possibly have Carlisle without Esme. She was the Cullens' mother, even if she didn't give birth to any of them. She looked after them and loved them with all her heart. Esme was my second mother, always there with a smile and a loving embrace whenever I needed her.

Emmett was the most light-hearted of the Cullens, and he was the one to keep everyone laughing. He would never back down from a fight, but he was really just an overgrown teddy bear. His huge size made him seem intimidating, but his childlike nature was endearing. Emmett was the big brother that I always wanted.

The one member of the family who was the most hesitant to get to know me was Rosalie. She was fiercely protective of her family, and she didn't trust me not to betray them and reveal their secret. Eventually, though, she gave me a chance and we got to know each other. We loved each other, even if we never did agree on the matter of my mortality. Rose was the big sister that I never thought to ask for.

Jasper… Jasper and I never had the opportunity to be close to each other, due in part to his thirst and the controlling tendencies of my then-boyfriend. But that didn't mean that I loved him any less. He was my big brother just as much as Emmett was, and I knew that he would protect me if the need arose. He watched over the family and made their lives that much easier with his own unique gift of empathy, underappreciated as it sometimes was.

My first and only boyfriend, Edward, was the only Cullen that I did hate, absolutely and undeniably. I had spent a long time going over our relationship, and I was genuinely ashamed of the way that I had acted with him. I had let him control me, never going against his wishes. It was pathetic, and I was disgusted that I had let him abuse me that way. He was arrogant, selfish, spoiled, and self-absorbed. It made me sick just how obsessed I had been with him.

And then… there was Alice, my Ali-cat. Alice was my first true friend, and our friendship was completely and utterly effortless, as easy as breathing and as natural as my human heartbeat. I never thought of her as my sister, though. It seemed as though I should, but it felt wrong, somehow.

It took me a while after my change before I finally realized it. I could never have thought of Alice as my sister… because I was in love with her. I had been falling in love with her all along and never realized it because I was so obsessed with her manipulative, asinine brother.

I loved everything about her. Her smile, her eyes, her laugh. I loved the way that she wasn't arrogant about her power and didn't lord it over people just because she could. I was enamored by the way that she held so much enthusiasm and passion for the things she cared about. I admired the way that she was so totally and completely loyal to her family and friends.

I loved Alice Cullen.

Unfortunately for me, that realization only made the aching hole in my chest burn hotter and throb more painfully around the edges. The ache was always there and it never stopped, never let up in its unending assault on me.

But I wasn't the blushing girl who couldn't tell a lie that I was before. My acting was flawless, now. I smiled and it was believable. I laughed and there was nothing off in my tone. I told the world, "I'm fine" and everyone believed me – everyone who didn't know me, that is.

Oh, my family knew better, but they went along with it because they knew that, no matter how much they disliked it, there was nothing that they could do to help me besides just being there for me. I felt genuinely bad for them, but they knew how much I loved them and that, along with my protection, was all that I had left to offer them.

Of course, even when I suffered such a monumental loss, I gained something as well. My family grew and changed, becoming closer than ever before. I knew happiness – my pain was just infinitely stronger than that happiness, that love.

When I was changed, I knew that I couldn't possibly let him believe that I was dead. Besides, given the circumstances, could I really have excused _not _telling him? Charlie and Sue had been dating since the summer that I arrived in Forks, and they were already engaged by the time that Victoria caught me out on the cliffs of La Push.

The Pack and the Elders kept the secret from the majority of the Reservation's citizens, but they were lenient when it came to the family of those who shifted. Charlie would have been told the legends and given proof of his stepson and stepdaughter's connection to the supernatural.

So, we told him. He was… shocked, to say the least. Still, he was my father, no matter what. Once he calmed down, we told him the whole story, and he finally understood. He had a lot of questions, but I was surprised when his first request was to see me shift.

I was relieved. Things were… easier after that. Charlie and Sue got married, and the Pack rallied around me. They soothed the ache, but they could never possibly heal me, really. But that didn't mean they didn't try.

After that, I settled into the half-life that defined my existence since that dreaded birthday that ended whatever life I ever hoped to live. I took to it nicely, to tell the truth. My life as a half-vampire, half-shifter suited me far more than my existence as nothing more than an ordinary human.

I had no thirst for human blood, but my ability to shift granted me a hunger for both the blood of animals and cooked meat. My speed, my grace amazed me at first because they were so opposite from my life before. Everything was different, and it felt as natural as breathing to me.

I was never truly happy, but I was content – and, for the sake of my family, I pretended happiness. My suffering never lessened, and it grew unceasingly. Still, I went on.

I created a house, deep within the Hoh Forest and outside of both Forks and the Reservation. But I couldn't call it home, then. No, that magnificent house did not truly become home to me until a year later, on October 19, 2007. That was the day that I found the first person to join my family.

I had been hunting outside of Seattle when I first caught wind of it. There was a human in the forest – a dying human. I couldn't help myself. I had to go to them. It was some instinct in me that I couldn't even attempt to fight.

When I came upon her, she lay helplessly on the forest floor – dying of dehydration and exposure. But somehow she was still conscious when I entered the small clearing that she was in. I didn't know what prompted me to do so, but I gave her the option to be changed – and she accepted.

I couldn't say what made me ask her, that day in the woods, but I could never regret it. Her name was Alexandria Lee Williams, but she told me to call her "Alex" because "Alexandria" was too formal and she had heard too many "Library of Alexandria" jokes.

Alex was the first of my new sisters. She was a very laid-back person, and she always felt comfortable with herself and others, no matter the situation. We got along extremely well because, while we were very similar in a lot of ways, we were different enough that we both had our own distinctive presences in our home.

But it still wasn't complete, and it wouldn't be for another seven years.

However, the next piece of the puzzle fell into place almost two years later, on May 3, 2009. I had been in Jacksonville, checking in on my Mom to see how she was coping with my disappearance, when I found her. Sarah Jade North witnessed a burglary and the thief shot her before she could call the police.

She was dying, and when I looked at her all I saw her in eyes was this… fierce determination. She was so _alive, _even as she lay on the ground of that alley, her life's blood pouring from her wound. And again I felt motivated by this pull. I offered her the choice, and she accepted.

Things got a little more interesting after that. Jade, as she insisted on being called, was one of the most vivacious and spirited people that I had ever met. She brought new life, for lack of a better word, into our home. Her mix of intense energy and sarcasm, blended with a genuine love and concern for our family, made the bond between the three of us as strong as if we were flesh and blood siblings.

Then, just eight months later, we welcomed two more members to our family. The three of us had been hunting in the forests of northern Oregon, and we witnessed a car losing control on the rain-slicked roads. We were too far away to do anything, but we all felt drawn to help in some way.

The one adult, a woman, in the car was already dead, killed on impact. But there were two more passengers, dying from loss of blood and the extent of their injuries. Twins, a brother and sister. The moment I saw them, it made my heart ache to see how hurt they were. They were so young… just thirteen years old. They accepted my offer of a new home, a new family, and I turned them.

Jason Matthew and Charlotte Kate Wright took on different positions than Alex and Jade. The two of them were orphans, and when we found them, they were being transported to a new foster home. They were so young, and I shared a unique connection with, different from my bond with my sisters. They became my adopted children, even though I was only five years older than them physically.

I never imagined myself as a mother, but it just felt… right with Jason and Kate. Alex and Jade took to their new roles as aunts with grace and enthusiasm. We were happy together, as happy as I ever was, at least. The pain was still there, but there was happiness, too. And, yet, we still weren't complete.

Not until November 11, 2014. Eric Thomas Grant was in a boating accident with his parents, who, unfortunately, did not survive. He was devastated, but he accepted when I gave him the option. Eric was mine, Alex, and Jade's little brother, while he was more of a friend to Jason and Kate, since he was only sixteen when he was turned.

After that, our family was finally complete, for now, at least. I knew that Alex, Jade, and Eric would find their mates, eventually, and they would likely join our little family, even if they left for a little while at first. But we were content with just the six of us. It was a good life, although the effects of _me _changing the others were a little odd, at first.

They never experienced the normal newborn phase that vampires usually go through. When they first woke, their eyes were already gold, and they had no desire for human blood. They couldn't eat meat the way that I could, but they were perfectly okay drinking animal blood, right from the beginning. There were a few other perks, too…

I looked up from where I had been lounging in a tree in the forest. Something was different. I could feel it. I frowned when my cellphone chose that moment to start ringing. "Dad?" I asked curiously, after glancing at the screen to see who it was.

"Bells, I have some news for you that I'm not sure you're gonna like," he warned me, and my frown deepened in anticipation of his words. "I just got a few visitors, here at the house. Bells… it was the Cullens."

I froze. Wait… _what?_ "What?" I asked, my voice cool and deadly calm. My mind was racing with the possibilities, and I needed to keep my emotions under control so that I could decide how best to deal with the situation.

"Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Alice showed up at my front door about five minutes ago. They said that they didn't know that you had disappeared, and they wanted to know anything I knew about your disappearance. I sent 'em away, but I can tell they're not about to give up, just like that," he muttered quickly. He knew that the Cullen family was a sensitive subject, although he didn't know how I felt about Alice.

I drew in a sharp breath. Alice… She was here? They were all here. A growl was building in my chest. "Okay. I'll take care of it," I told him, muttering a swift goodbye and waiting just long enough for him to say goodbye to me as well before I hung up.

My fists and teeth were clenched as I stood, perfectly balanced on the limb of a tree, high above the ground. I didn't doubt Charlie's word… but I had to know for myself, had to _see _for myself, if it was true.

I took off, launching myself silently from one tree to another, moving swiftly toward the Cullen house. They wouldn't hear me, wouldn't see me, but I could see the proof of their return for myself.

When I drew close, I slowed my pace, until I hovered lightly just inside the tree line, looking down through the glass wall of their house and into the living room. For the second time that day, I froze. They were there.

I caught only a glimpse, only enough to register the presence of a few of them, before I saw her. Alice slipped out the back door, and she was just as beautiful, just as magnificent, as I remembered. She was incredible. Her snowy skin was perfectly complimented by her short raven hair, and I could imagine how her bright golden eyes would smolder.

I loved her. I wanted to hate her. I needed her. And I hated the power that she had over me. I couldn't stop myself from following after her as she flew through the forest. Almost immediately, I realized where she was heading, and the blackened steel thorns that encircled my frozen heart tightened.

I heard sobs rising in her chest, and I agonized over her pain, even through the fury that I still felt at her abandonment of me those years ago. She gasped after stopping at the top of the waterfall, and I guessed that she hadn't even realized where she was going.

I leapt lightly down to the ground below, barely glancing at the natural wonder that had amazed me so much at one time. I could still remember the first time that I saw it…

_`~ Flashback ~`_

_I laughed as Alice ran out the door of the Cullen house with me. I didn't understand why she was so eager, but I didn't question it. All of the others were up in Canada for the next few days, hunting big game, so it was just the two of us._

"_Where are we going?" I asked, a wide smile on my face. Alice's enthusiasm was infectious – whenever it didn't have anything to do with shopping or clothes, at least._

"_You'll see," she told me, turning so that I could see the grin on her face. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and her excitement over showing me this place, wherever it was, was palpable._

_I just shook my head before resting my chin on her shoulder, waiting to see what had Alice so excited. I was glad that I had finally gotten over my fear of extremely high speeds, so that I could enjoy this without having to worry about getting sick. But, then again, Alice had always been more… considerate about that, and she didn't run as fast as she could so that I would be more comfortable with her._

_Once we got close, she stopped and I hopped down, looking at her curiously. She smiled and shook her head. "Close your eyes," she instructed me, and I reluctantly complied._

_Alice took my hand, leading me forward and being careful not to let me trip. We didn't walk far, before I could feel the change. There was air rushing towards me, and the muffled roaring sound that I had been hearing was far louder than before._

"_Okay," she whispered from beside me, and I opened my eyes to one of the most amazing things I'd ever seen before. It was… incredible, awe-inspiring._

_There was a waterfall beside me, the likes of which I had never seen before. It was gorgeous. I loved it, and I could definitely see why Alice had been so eager to show it to me._

_I had taken a few steps forward in amazement, and I turned to look at my vampire best friend. It was then that I saw the nervousness hiding behind the anticipation. I smiled gently as I remembered the only thing that she had told me about this place. "It's my sanctuary, the one place where I can always go to think and be alone when I need to," she had said._

"_Thank you, Alice. Thank you for trusting me enough to bring me here," I said sincerely, and the relief and joy in her eyes was radiant enough to take my breath away._

_We spent the rest of the afternoon there, and I loved it. It was just me and Alice, and I honestly felt like everything was perfect. I could have stayed there forever, but we had to go back eventually. After that, that was our place. We never took anyone else there, and I didn't want to . That was mine and Alice's place – just the two of us. Nothing else would have been right because that was the way that it was supposed to be… Just the two of us…_

_`~ End Flashback ~`_

I sighed silently and shook my head. The anger was still there… but I couldn't resist the opportunity to speak to her again. I stepped forward and the words left my mouth before I could second-guess my decision. "I heard you were looking for me?"

She froze before whirling to face me. Her eyes widened when she saw me – and then I froze, too. Her eyes… I could feel the connection in an instant.

The Quileutes, my wolf brothers, had told me about their legends and the things that they had experienced for themselves. I had watched it happen to several Pack members. A bond deeper than love, deeper than anything else. Imprinting.

I had just imprinted on Alice Cullen, but I knew immediately that it was… different. I didn't feel like they all had, but I could sense the connection between us. She was my Imprint, my Mate. But I was still myself.

I had always been skeptical of the wolves' Imprinting. It seemed… wrong, somehow, that they were instantly so committed. If you were going to love someone, truly love them, then it couldn't happen just like that. It was something that built over time, took time to develop into something so strong that nothing could break it.

And, apparently, that had affected my own Imprinting. Still, I felt the electricity flowing between us, and it felt right. But that didn't mean that everything was perfect between us – not by a long shot. I did love her, but I was realistic. This would take work, a lot of work, and it would only all work out in the end if we both put our whole efforts into it.

She gasped, and I assumed that she could feel it, too. I could see the confusion in her eyes, and I knew that she wouldn't recognize me. I looked nothing like Bella Swan, the human girl that she had left behind. That thought spurred my anger, and my voice was cool when I spoke next. "What's the matter, Alice? Don't you recognize me?"

She froze again, and I could almost see the thoughts rushing through her head. "Bella…" she breathed in shock. I couldn't help the small, humorless smile that crossed my face as she said my name.

I could have chosen to lie or blow her off – except I couldn't. I could never do that to someone I loved. And, no matter how strong my anger may be at times, I loved Alice Cullen. So, I chose the more mature route.

"I think we need to talk," I told her seriously, bypassing her question since she obviously knew that it had to be me. We needed to talk about a lot of things, and we might as well start right away. I had a lot of questions to ask after these past ten years, and I'm sure that she did, too. So, maybe it was time that we both got some answers…

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: So, how was it? I wanted to provide mostly background information on Bella's side of the story, with this chapter. Next chapter, I'll move forward with the conversation between Alice and Bella. So, let know what you think! Thanks for reading, everyone!**

**Story Recommendation: In Another Life by kathryn518. Summary: The ****Cullen****family****left****Bella**** in the forest. In this story they didn't come back to forks. ****Bella**** still ended up a vampire. She's now a feared member of the Volturi. She's got a daughter, and she's had no contact with the ****Cullens**** for almost a century. She emerges from the horrors of her past under the shadow of a looming threat. Alice/Bella – The story is incredible, and provides an in-depth storyline. So, check it out!**

**~ Katharine**


	4. Love and Lies

_**Irrational**_

"_Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made." – Bella, New Moon_

**Chapter Four: Love and Lies**

_Alice_

I was still in shock when Bella – Bella! – spoke. "I think we need to talk," she said seriously, and nodded in agreement, trying to shake off my astonishment at seeing her again, not to mention how different she looked.

"Okay, um…" I swallowed, shaking my head a little. "Why don't you start?" I offered, knowing that I had no clue how to even begin this conversation.

Bella chuckled humorlessly. "Honestly, Alice, I don't have any clue where to start. It's been ten years since you left, so I can imagine that we both have more than a few questions." I nodded at that, wincing at the hint of anger in her voice. "How many of you are here?" she asked formally, and I frowned sadly at the remoteness of her voice.

"There are eight of us here," I told her softly, and she frowned. "We added a member to our coven, a vampire who converted to our diet. She's Jasper's mate," I answered her unasked question, but, from the look in her mysteriously blue eyes, I could tell that I only created more confusion for her.

"I thought that you were Jasper's mate?" It seemed as though the question slipped out without her permission, judging from the shock in Bella's voice as she spoke.

I shook my head. "No, we weren't true mates. We… We did love each other, but we both knew that it wouldn't last forever. Jasper found Kiara when he was visiting his old friends Peter and Charlotte," I explained, and she nodded.

"I see." Bella sighed, running a hand through her now black locks. "Very well, then. Would it be acceptable for me to bring my coven, and a few representatives of the Pack, to speak with your family? We have much to discuss," she said formally, and I felt my silent heart give a jolt. She wanted to meet with us and talk, but… her coven?

I shook off my surprise from her words, hoping that it would be explained later. "Of course," I agreed, trying to keep my eagerness and desperation from showing on my face. "We'll be at the house. You could come in, say, twenty minutes," I suggested hopefully, receiving a nod in return.

"Remember something, Alice. Things have changed. I've changed. Don't forget that," she warned me. She turned then, and I watched as she melted into the shadows of the forest once more, the soft sound of her footsteps quickly fading. I could still hardly believe that she was here.

I stood in stunned silence for a few minutes before a wide smile spread across my face as I began racing to get back to the house. Bella was alive. All of the pain, all of the sadness of the past ten years – it was like it was washed away the moment that I looked into her eyes, leaving nothing more than a scar behind to remind me of my mistakes.

I frowned slightly. Her eyes… Bella's eyes were blue and her hair was as black as mine, as dark as night. At the same time, her scent was something I had never encountered before. She smelled amazing; her scent a mixture of snow, honeysuckle, vanilla, and… just a hint of something else… However, she didn't smell like a vampire even though she had no heartbeat. Well, she didn't smell fully like a vampire – it was as though I was smelling two completely different scents mixed together, one vampire scent and one… other. I didn't understand the change in her, but I was excited to know that there was even a possibility that I would get to know her again.

That didn't mean that I wasn't worried that she wouldn't forgive me for abandoning her and not returning until I found out that she had been "missing" for the past ten years. I could only hope that she would give me the chance to explain myself and earn back her trust.

Besides that, there was also the matter of her coven. I was more than curious to learn about the vampires that were now a part of Bella's family. In addition, I wondered whether they had simply joined her, or if she had changed them.

I paused in my thoughts as I considered that. Bella's eyes were blue and offered no indication as to her diet. I had no idea if she followed our ways, or if she had more… traditional tastes. I frowned, curious if that would bother me – if she were a human-drinker. To be honest… I didn't think that it would, not really. I loved Bella, and I would love her even if she did drink from humans. It wasn't my place to decide something like that for her.

I almost stopped running for a moment, as a devastating thought hit me. What if Bella had a mate? Could she already be with someone? The mere idea of it was agonizing, but I resolved to put it out of my mind for now, instead focusing on the fact that she was here, at all.

I looked up as I entered the clearing that contained the house. A silent growl rumbled in my chest as I thought of Edward's reaction to seeing Bella again. I was honestly convinced that she couldn't love him anymore after he chose to leave her – and bring us with him – but the fear was still there. Nonetheless, she would be here in less than twenty minutes, so I knew I had to tell them all right away.

Reluctantly, I entered the house and was met with… six pairs of eyes? I relaxed a bit. Edward wasn't here. Well, that was even more of a relief than usual, so I simply brushed it off. I didn't bother taking a seat – we didn't have enough room in the house for the number of people that I estimated would be here for the meeting, so we would have to hold it outside in the field behind our house.

I wondered what would be the best way to tell them, before deciding just to be direct. Carlisle was about to speak, but I held up my hand. "I need to tell you all something, but I need you to stay silent until I finish, please. It's important," I requested, and my family exchanged curious, wary glances before agreeing.

I took a deep breath. "When I was out in the woods, Bella found me," I told them, holding up my hand as I saw them starting to speak. The shock was plain on their faces, and I knew that I needed to explain – even though I didn't have that much information myself. "I don't have the answers to your questions, but Bella, her coven, and some representatives from the Pack will be arriving in," I calculated how long it had been before going on after my imperceptible pause, "seven minutes."

They were shocked and no one said anything for a moment. I understood the feeling. We came here because Bella had been missing for ten years and we wanted to find the girl that we all loved in some way, and not even twelve hours after we arrive, she finds me out in the woods. Then, I come back to inform my family that she'll be arriving less than ten minutes later. Clearly, that would be enough to stun anyone into silence.

Jasper was the first to break the quiet, apparently picking up on something I said. "Her coven? Bella's a vampire?" he asked, his eyes intense and his words capturing everyone's attention.

I sighed. How to answer that question… "I…" I shook my head. "She's different. I'm not sure if she is a vampire, or not." Carlisle gave me an inquisitive look and I frowned slightly. "I didn't recognize her when I first saw her," I admitted.

Esme smiled at me sympathetically. "We haven't seen her in ten years, I'm sure…" she trailed off when I started shaking my head and raised my hand, signaling her to stop.

"That's not it, Esme. She still looks eighteen years old, but she doesn't look like the girl that we left behind a decade ago," I told them, and now Rosalie frowned.

"What do you mean, Alice? How can she still look eighteen and not be the girl we remember?" she questioned, and I chuckled humorlessly.

"I don't know how, but… Bella has black hair and blue and silver eyes, now," I explained, still baffled by the change myself. The roots of her hair were also completely pitch black, so there was no chance that she could have dyed it, and I would have been able to tell if she was wearing contacts. It was absolutely and utterly impossible, but the changes had to be natural – there was no other explanation.

Their eyes widened, reflecting my own disbelief, although I had actually seen it for myself. Of course, there were… other changes, I admitted to myself. All of the remaining baby fat that still clung to her slender teenage form, before, was gone. She was all lean muscle and voluptuous curves. Her form was a perfect hourglass, and I admit I couldn't keep my eyes away from her ass when she walked away from me. I shook my head. Now was not the time to be thinking about that.

Carlisle was the one to break the silence this time. "Well, then. Shall we… wait outside?" he asked, clearing his throat unnecessarily. We all nodded before filing outside and forming a line, each other others standing with their mates, while I stood in the middle of our loose formation.

We waited without saying anything, but my mind was racing the entire time. Different possible scenarios kept running through my mind, but I truly had no idea how this was going to go. I even searched for Bella, using my gift, but I kept coming up blank.

Finally, we heard it. There were only three strong heartbeats, but there were nine sets of footsteps. They were almost here. From both their scent and their heartbeats, I knew that there were three of the wolves present. Five of the other scents were vampire, and I assumed they were Bella's coven. And then there was Bella's scent, which I again noticed seemed only partially vampire…

We all stood up straighter as the approaching group entered the clearing. The three wolves emerged first, their faces emotionless but their eyes fierce and distrustful. They all had black hair, russet colored skin, and were at least six feet tall. They almost looked like brothers by blood, but we knew them for what they truly were. Two of the shifters stood slightly behind the third, and I guessed that he was the Alpha.

After them, came the five vampires, Bella's coven. There were two males and three females, but two of the vampires were far younger, physically, than the other three – they looked to be anywhere from twelve to maybe fourteen years old. They seemed to be twins. I was stunned by just how young they were, and, from Esme and Rose's soft gasps, I could tell that my family was, too. Still, I knew that we were all pleased to note that their eyes were bright gold.

Bella was the last to exit the forest and step into the clearing, and her eyes met mine immediately afterwards. I was once again shocked by her bright blue eyes, that same silver sheen dancing across them. I shook myself out of my stupor, choosing to address Bella first. "Hello. Thank you for coming," I greeted her softly, and she nodded, her face expressionless and her eyes cautious.

"I believe that we should introduce ourselves before we go any further," Bella responded, nodding to one of the Quileutes to begin. "We know your names, so we will skip your family."

The man who I had assumed was the Alpha stepped forward. "My name is Jacob Black, and I am the Alpha of the Pack," Jacob announced himself, his voice holding no trace of the anger that I could see clearly in his dark eyes.

"My name is Paul Lahote. I'm the Second in Jacob's Pack," the man to Jacob's right spoke, his voice hard and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"I'm Seth Clearwater, one of the members of the Pack," the third wolf introduced himself. We all nodded politely, though it was clear to see that they had no warmth for us. I didn't blame them.

We moved onto Bella's coven, then. I was slightly more nervous about them because they were her family, and I knew that they would certainly be furious with us – as they should be. And all my agony and worry over the issue of whether or not Bella had a mate or partner came back to me, although I was careful not to let it show on my face.

"I'm Bella's sister, Alexandria Lee Williams Swan, but if you value your life you'll address me as Alex." The woman that spoke was about 5'5" and she had light brown hair that fell straight down to the middle of her back. She was obviously turned when she was a teenager, since she looked a little younger than Bella. I'm not sure which surprised us more: the fact that she called herself Bella's sister, or that she carried Bella's last name.

"You will call me Jade. My name is Sarah Jade North Swan, and I am also Bella's sister." Jade spoke coldly, her eyes narrowed as she glowered at us. It was good to see the loyalty and love that she had for Bella, just as much as it was a relief to hear her also claim Bella as a sister and not a lover. She was even shorter than me, only about 5'2", and she had wavy, golden blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders.

The elder male vampire spoke, then. "I'm Eric Thomas Grant Swan, Bella's brother," he said coolly. He was just as massive as Emmett, both of them standing at exactly 6'5". Eric had dark brown hair that hung just down to his ears**.* **

We looked to the two younger vampires, but Bella stepped between the two of them and took one of their hands in each of theirs. "This is Jason Matthew Wright Swan and Charlotte Kate Wright Swan. Charlotte answers to Kate," she told us and we nodded, before she dropped the bomb on us. "They're my children."

My mouth fell open. I couldn't help it. They were… her kids? I could tell that they were adopted, because they were two old to be her biological kids and they had two last names. Still, they did look remarkably like her with their pale skin and jet black hair. Jason's was short and tousled, and Kate's went all the way down to her waist.

Carlisle recovered first. "It would seem that we have much to discuss," he said evenly, clearly striving to achieve his usual calmness. "I would like to first ask if the peace still stands between our people?" he questioned.

Jacob clenched his jaw slightly before nodding. "The treaty stands, Carlisle Cullen," he said formally before falling back into his silent scrutiny of us.

"You should know that my coven family and I have set up a territory outside of yours. You will know when you encounter it. I would request that you do not wander on it, unless you are going straight to our home," Bella spoke up, addressing Carlisle this time.

He nodded his assent. "Of course, Bella. We will honor your wishes. You, of course, are welcome here any time, as well as your family," he said kindly, and Bella nodded.

"I arranged this meeting with Alice because I was sure you would want to know my story. You returned because you found out that I went missing, correct?" she asked.

"Yes. We didn't know before, but we heard it on the news," I responded, both eager and afraid to hear Bella's story. I was ecstatic that none of the present vampires were her mate, but I wasn't naïve enough to believe that I didn't still have a long way to go before she would ever possibly consider entering a relationship with me.

"After you left, I fell into a depression. For four months, I was in a daze, and I remember very little from that time. I wasn't living, I was just existing from one moment to the next." My still heart ached at her words. "It seemed as though I was trapped, unloved and abandoned, unwanted," Bella told us, her tone emotionless, although the others standing with her expressed untold amounts of anger and sadness.

Kiara frowned. "Forgive me, I know that it's not my place ask, but… Why did you feel as though you were unwanted?" she asked gently, an apologetic glint in her eyes.

Bella laughed once, without humor, before realization seemed to flash across her face. "Tell me, what did Edward tell you that he said to me, when he left me, that day?" she asked sharply.

"He said that he told you the same thing he told us: that it was too dangerous for you to be around us and that we were leaving before you could get hurt anymore," Jasper said slowly, fury beginning to burn in his eyes. "Now, what did he really say to you?"

My eyes widened. Of course. Of course, he fucking lied to us. That damned fucking bastard! I had to bite down on my tongue to keep my growls restrained, focusing intently on Bella's answer. As she spoke, telling us of the conversation they had, my rage built until it was a torrent locked within me.

After she had finished, I wasn't the only one to growl. Every member of my family had black eyes, darkened with anger, at this point – even Esme and Carlisle. How dare he?! I was going to kill him. I was going to rip him to shreds, dammit!

Esme, of course, was the first to try and reassure Bella. "Bella, he lied. He lied to both of us. We love you, Bella. We've always loved you, I promise you," she said, anguish clear in her voice.

I watched as the woman I loved took a deep breath before shaking her head. "You're still missing the point, Esme. He may have lied, but he wasn't the only one who left me. All of you did. I understand that he is a part of your family, but each of you made the choice to abandon me," Bella said firmly, her eyes hard, silver flashing across blue.

I couldn't keep quiet. "I know that we were wrong, Bella. We shouldn't have left. I should never have left, and…" I shook my head helplessly, tears that would never fall welling up in my eyes.

Bella looked at me, her eyes softening slightly, before sighing quietly. "We're not going to solve this, today. However, you should know that I do care deeply about all of you. I am angry with all of you, and hurt by what you did, but I want to get past it eventually," she said slowly, and I felt a flutter of hope enter my heart.

Rose smiled tentatively. "It's good to see you again, Bella," she said softly, and received a nod in return.

"I told you, it'll take time, but… it is good to see you all," Bella said evenly, before turning to the others next to her. "You can go, now. I have something to take care of, but I'll join you later," she dismissed them.

They were clearly reluctant to leave her here with us, but they complied, giving us warning looks and hugging her before leaving. Bella looked at us, her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Before I tell you any more, there's something you should know," she told us, and I felt confusion rising in me as she took a few steps back from us. Almost involuntarily, I started to step forward, but Bella raised one hand to stop me.

"What is it, Bella?" Jasper asked cautiously. I'm sure we were all curious, but he was a soldier at heart and he always looked after us, even when he didn't really need to.

"I told you that I changed, Alice. But I didn't just mean my appearance or even my personality. I meant my change into a half-vampire," Bella told us simply.

I froze. "Half-vampire?" Carlisle asked, wonder and shock in his voice.

"Half-vampire… and half-shifter," she elaborated.

The words poured from my mouth before I could stop them, although somehow I knew. I knew before she even revealed it to us. "What do you shift into?"

She smirked slightly. "This." Bella leapt forward and shifted in midair… into a powerful and strong white tiger, with black stripes and blue eyes that had a silvery sheen across the top…

**To Be Continued.**

***If you watch The Vampire Diaries, then Eric's hair looks sort of like Damon's.**

**A/N: As you could tell, I'm sure, I made a change to the story. I changed Bella's hair color from white-blond to black. I was reading through the previous chapters and realized that it just really didn't work to have it blonde. So, the reasoning for her hair being black – her stripes as a tiger are black. Sorry about that, but I went back and fixed the chapters before, if you want to check it out. As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for reading everyone!**

**Also, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I would love to reply to each and every review, but I honestly just don't have the time. However, if you do have a question about anything, I would be happy to answer it. Again, thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, or reviewed the last chapter. You guys are awesome and you inspire me!**

**Story Recommendation: Golden Slumber by fembuck. Summary: Alice and Bella share a quiet moment together in the hotel in Phoenix Twilight . Alice/Bella, Bella/Alice, femslash. – This is a one-shot, but it's great and has a full-length story sequel.**

**Story Recommendation: The Edge by fembuck. Summary: One night when Edward is out hunting, Alice drops by Bella's room to keep her company. Only, things don't go quite as planned. Sequel to "Golden Slumber". Alice/Bella, Bella/Alice, femslash.**

**Story Recommendation: Love Risks by duke4life3443. Summary: "I saw her and knew that she was it for me." How can Bella convince Rosalie that she's worth the risk and what is Rosalie hiding from Bella? How will Bella take to her secret? Femslash. Futa Warning.**

**~ Katharine**


	5. Imprint

_**Irrational**_

"_Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made." – Bella, New Moon_

**Chapter Five: Imprint**

_Alice_

I gasped as my eyes widened, taking in every detail of the powerful feline form before me. It's possible that I should have been scared, or freaked out. I wasn't and I didn't. I was in awe of her. Bella was as magnificent in this body as in her vampiric form. That was the other component of her scent – tiger.

Her eyes locked with mine and I could see some hidden emotion, there. Those bright blue eyes seemed to be able to look straight down into my soul, and I felt both vulnerable and safe as she looked at me that way.

My focus was broken when I finally registered the low murmurs of my family. They were shocked, of course, but no matter what else had changed, this was Bella, and we knew she wouldn't harm us – not that I would blame her if she wanted to…

Carlisle was the first to recover. "Bella, would you mind shifting back to your vampire form so that we can talk?" he asked politely, his eyes practically brimming over with curiosity.

She nodded and something occurred to me. "Wait!" I called. "We should get her some clothes, first," I reminded everyone. I knew that the wolves were naked when they phased back to their human forms.

Rose was about to do just that, but Bella shook her head and changed back. I was stunned when I saw that she was fully dressed in the same clothes that she had been wearing before. "Your clothes don't get shredded when you phase?" The question slipped out before I could think about it.

Bella's lips twitched up at the corners into a small, wry smile. "No, they don't. I'm sure that you're curious, so, I can tell you a bit more of what I know about my ability to shift, if you like," she offered slowly, her eyes slightly darker with the conflict I could see raging within them.

I didn't even have to look around me to know that my family was just as eager to know more about Bella as I was. "We'd love to hear more, but only if you're comfortable with telling us," I said sincerely. I never wanted her to be uncomfortable with us, uncomfortable with _me._

A flash of something unknown crossed her eyes, but she nodded. "Thank you, Alice. I appreciate that," she said formally. "For now, it may be simpler if each of you asks a question and then I answer," she suggested.

Jasper spoke up, first. "When did you phase?" he questioned, a slight frown on his face. I wanted to know that, too. It was obviously after we left, but, beyond that, I had absolutely no idea.

Bella raised one eyebrow. "Can't you guess?" She shook her head when none of us answered. "I phased on March 16, 2006," she informed us, and I felt my eyes get a little bit wider.

Carlisle's eyes were bright and his brow was furrowed with confusion. "Why did you say that you were half-vampire and half-shifter?" he asked.

She sighed. "That question requires a bit more of an in-depth answer. After you left, Victoria decided to hunt me in an attempt to get revenge for the loss of her mate," she began, making us gasp. We hadn't imagined that Victoria would go after Bella, especially after we left.

"Victoria?" Rose repeated, her voice filled with concern for her sister.

She laughed once without humor. "A mate for a mate, I was told. The Pack protected me, trying repeatedly to chase her down, to no avail. She finally caught up to me one day, when I was sitting out at the top of one of the cliffs in La Push."

My hands were clenched into fists by my sides. Dread filled me at the thought of James' wild redheaded mate anywhere near the woman I loved. Bella's eyes caught mine, and I felt myself relaxing under her gaze.

"She bit me, and I should have been turned into a vampire. However, I had been feeling odd for a while and, at the same moment that she bit me, I shifted. I tore her apart just as the Pack found us, and then I began my change." Her voice was even, almost clinical, and it made her story easier to hear somehow.

"Fascinating," Carlisle murmured, blinking a few times. "Thank you for telling us that, Bella," he said warmly, receiving a polite nod in return.

"May I ask why you look so different now, dear?" Esme wondered, asking one of the questions that I'm sure was in each of our minds. After all, none of our appearances had been so drastically altered when we were changed.

Bella looked thoughtful, now. "I'm not exactly sure, but I assume it has something to do with my tiger form. I've been this way since I first woke up. I always assumed that my hair turned black, due to my black stripes as a tiger, and many tigers have blue eyes," she shrugged.

"What sort of diet do you follow?" Kiara asked bluntly, although, admittedly, not meanly. She was just curious, but I couldn't stop the automatic hiss from escaping my mouth.

"Kiara!" Esme scolded her, but Bella waved her off.

"It's quite alright, Esme," she assured her calmly, before focusing on my newest sister. "I keep the same diet as all of you, however, due to my nature, I also am able to eat meat, though I am unable to eat any other human food." Kiara nodded thoughtfully at the answer, while I smiled slightly at her words. While I would not have thought any less of Bella, if she had hunted humans, I couldn't deny that I was glad she didn't.

"Did you change the others in your coven, or did they join you after you were changed?" Rose inquired, and I frowned slightly. I knew how my sister struggled with this life, though she never regretted asking Carlisle to change Emmett.

Her eyes softened the slightest bit. "I changed them myself, but…" Bella raised one finger, cautioning Rose to wait, when she saw her pained expression. "I gave them a choice. Each of them was dying when I offered to change them, and they chose this life. I won't tell you any more because they're not my stories to tell, but they did have a choice, Rosalie," she said quietly, getting a nod in return.

Emmett, being Emmett, broke the slight tension better than anyone else could. "So, do you have any kind of cool power?" he demanded eagerly. Bella chuckle quietly at that, while the rest of us groaned at his childishness.

"I have a few, actually," she admitted, shocking us once more.

"A few?" Carlisle echoed, shaking his head a little. "I've never heard of any vampire having multiple talents," he confessed.

"I have a mental and physical shield, I'm capable of projecting my thoughts, I have a heightened sense for telling when danger is nearby, and…" she hesitated for just a moment. "I have the ability to allow female vampires to become pregnant," she said slowly, glancing between Rosalie and Esme. They both looked like they wanted to say something, but she went on before they could. "I understand that both of you have wanted this for a long time, and I promise that I will speak with both of you about it in the near future. However, for now, that's all I'm willing to say on the matter," Bella told them gently.

I was stunned by the amount of power she had, but that wasn't what my mind was focusing on in that particular moment. I was mostly thinking about another aspect of the La Push shape shifters. The wolves were each bound by a very powerful and unbreakable instinct to their soul mate. They called it imprinting…

"Alice." Bella's voice broke through my thoughts. "What question do you have for me?" she asked cautiously, although her eyes were softer than before.

I couldn't help myself. No matter how much the answer may hurt me, I had to know. "Can you imprint?" I blurted out, causing her eyes to go wide. I swallowed before I repeated my question. "Can you imprint like the wolves do?"

My family all held their breath as they waited for her answer. She was frozen for a moment before she breathed out a sigh slowly. "Yes, although it's different for me than for the wolves," she answered quietly.

My breath caught in my throat. "And…" I had to grit my teeth to be able to go on. "Have you imprinted on someone?" I forced the words out.

Bella closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them, a new strength and resolve flickering in their blue depths. She squared her shoulders before answering. "Yes, I have."

I couldn't make myself speak the question I wanted to ask. I could already feel my heart breaking, shattering into thousands of tiny pieces, never to be whole again, it seemed like. And then she spoke, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I imprinted on you, Alice."

My eyes, which I hadn't realized had fallen shut, snapped open. "W-what?" I stuttered for the first time in my existence. She couldn't possibly have said what I thought she did. But then she said it again.

"_You _are my imprint, Alice Cullen," she repeated, the smallest hint of a small on her face, her bright silvery blue eyes serious. "Now," she turned her attention to my family. "I believe Alice and I need to have a talk, if you would excuse us."

I finally broke out of my stupor, stepping forward hesitantly. "I'll be back in a while," I told them, finding myself unable to look away from her face.

"That's alright, darling. Take all the time you need," Esme's kind voice assured me, laced with bursting excitement and joy at my unbelievable good fortune.

I vaguely heard the sounds of my family going into the house. When I reached Bella, she turned and glanced back at me. "Follow me, please," she requested before she took off into the woods.

Of course, I trailed after her, getting lost in my thoughts as we ran. She imprinted… on me. Me! It felt like it should have been a dream, had I been able to sleep. But I wasn't naïve enough to think that this would fix everything. Still, I hadn't honestly thought that I stood a chance with her before now. I could only hope that she was as willing to give me the chance I so desperately wanted…

I looked up as we stopped in a clearing halfway up the nearby mountain. Now that we were alone, I didn't know what to say. Fortunately, Bella seemed to catch on to my problem.

"How about I start?" she suggested, and I agreed gratefully. "I suppose I should begin by explaining why my imprinting is different than the wolves'. For me, the connection was established as soon as I looked into your eyes, but our bond will grow over time. How fast and how strong it grows depends entirely on us and our relationship, whatever it may be. Are you with me so far?" she asked.

I nodded, recovering my ability to speak. "Basically, it will be like any other relationship, only stronger and unable to be broken?" I asked for clarification. "What else?" I wondered when she nodded.

"I do feel the need to be around you and to protect you, just like the both the wolves do with their imprints and vampires do with their mates," Bella confessed, and I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. "I also know from the wolves that the relationship between an imprinter and their imprint becomes whatever the imprint wants it to be," she told me, causing my breath to hitch. I saw something in her eyes when she said that, that gave me a small bit of confidence.

"And… what kind of relationship do you want us to have?" I asked cautiously. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"Alice…" she trailed off in warning.

"Please, Bella," I begged. "I just… I really need to know." It was the truth. She told me that our relationship would become whatever I wanted it to be, but I needed to know what _she _wanted, too. "Could you… Could you ever love me like I love you?" I froze when the words slipped out, horrified by my sudden admission.

She took a deep breath. "Alice… When your family left, I was broken, but it was never Edward that I missed. I was angry and I grew to hate him for what he did to me, but I missed you, Alice. I missed all of the rest of your family, as well, but it was _you_ who I missed the most. And, eventually, I realized that it was because I never really loved Edward. It was you, Alice. It was always you, and it always will be," she admitted, her eyes shining softly with a tenderness that I could never have imagined was possible.

I drew in a shaky breath. "You… you love me?" I asked faintly, a smile slowly finding its way onto my lips. I had never let myself dream that she might love me like I loved her, and she always had. It was the best thing I could have imagined.

Bella sighed. "Yes, Alice, I do love you. But you know as well as I do that it's not that simple. This is going to take a lot of work if we're going to be together. Now, the only question is, is that what you want? Do you want to be with me?" she questioned me, looking deep into my eyes for the truth of my answer.

I nodded seriously. "I loved you, too, back then. I just didn't realize it until it was too late. I want to be with you, Bella. I've never wanted anything more, and I know it's going to be hard, but I truly believe that we can get through it," I said honestly. She smiled slightly before a frown covered her face.

"Alice…" she hesitated. "There's something you should know before you make your final decision. I know a bit more about my kind of imprinting…"

"What is it, Bella?" I encouraged her. I was curious about what it could be, to make her so hesitant.

"You know how vampires mark their mates the first time that they claim them?" she asked me, and I nodded. "Well, it would be the same for you and I, but if I were to claim you… it would have a more far-reaching effect on you."

I frowned. "I don't understand. What do you mean it would have an effect on me?"

She ran a hand through her hair, just like she used to do as a human. "I mean that, if I mark you, you'll become like me, Alice." I opened my mouth to ask what she meant before she went on. "You'll become half-vampire and half-shifter, too."

My mouth closed with an audible snap and my eyes felt like they were bulging out of their sockets. I would… what, change into a tiger like she did? I blinked a few times as I adjusted to the idea. I nodded slowly. "Okay," I said simply.

"Okay?" She raised one eyebrow, but her eyes showed how anxious she was.

I smiled. "It's okay, Bella. I can't say I fully understand what it's like to be like you, but I'm not afraid of it. And I'm not going to let it stop us from being together," I promised her, and she smiled, too.

"We should get back," she murmured, and I nodded reluctantly. I followed once more as she led me back to the house. Once we reached it, I stopped on the porch and turned to face her.

I hesitated. "I'll see you, tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

Bella nodded. "You will," she promised, hesitating before she leaned forward to pull me into a hug. I relaxed instantly into her embrace, breathing in her comforting scent. Too soon, she pulled back. "Good night, Alice," she murmured. And, with that, she turned and leapt off the porch, phasing in midair.

Once she was out of sight, I went into the house. I assumed the others were upstairs, so I went straight to my room and lay on the large bed there. A moment later, there came a knock on the door. I knew who it was, of course. "Come in," I called quietly.

A second later, Esme joined me on the bed, wrapping me in her arms soothingly. My lips tilted up in a large grin. "She imprinted on me, Mom." My voice was like that of a child, full of joyous wonder.

She chuckled quietly. "Yes, she did, darling," she agreed as she gently stroked her hand through my short hair. We didn't say anything else for the rest of the night, and we didn't need to. All I really needed in that moment was for my mother to hold me, while I reveled in being truly happy for the first time in a decade…

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: So, what did you think? I never really liked the way that imprinting was described in the books – it never seemed like it could be as strong as something developed over time, to me – so, I decided to change it up. What do you think about the idea of Alice being changed once Bella marks her? It may seem far-fetched, but I will include an explanation for it later in the story. Thanks for reading, everyone! As always, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter. You guys are amazing!**

**Story Recommendation: The Definition of Love by RIP Amaze Liar. Summary: After new moon. When Alice makes a terrible mistake, how will it affect the Cullens? And more importantly how will it affect Bella? Told from Bella's POV. AliceBella.**

**Story Recommendation: Find My Place by Saxyad18. Summary: Rose and Bella bond, but when the Cullens return from hunting, the new friendship tears the family apart. Can the Cullens salvage the family before it falls into ruin? Who is sacrificed for the benefit of the rest? And who commits the ultimate betrayal?**

**~ Katharine**


	6. Contemplation and Confrontation

**A/N: I have a surprise for all of you in this chapter – although, it could be good or bad, depending on your view of things. I was considering going this way the whole time, and I decided to go with it since it's something new for me to write. Hope you enjoy!**

_**Irrational**_

"_Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made." – Bella, New Moon_

**Chapter Six: Contemplation and Confrontation**

_Bella_

I heaved a great sigh, my tail twitching back and forth. My siblings had taken mea catulis* out hunting. I sent them when I first got back, despite how eager they were to hear about what had happened. I just needed some time to deal with it on my own, first, and they knew it. It had been several hours since I left Alice at the Cullens' house. A low whimper escaped my throat.

I didn't know quite what I was going to do about the entire situation I had found myself in. For a decade, I remained broken and empty. Now, they were back… she was back. And then, bam, the first time I look into her eyes, I imprint. It was… disorienting, to say the least.

I loved her, I truly did, but that didn't erase the other emotions that raged within me. I was so very hurt when they abandoned me, when they destroyed the all-too-innocent girl that I was. At the same time, I was furious with how they treated me, how they made me feel. And I didn't know how to reconcile the conflicting feelings inside of me.

It went without question that I would forgive her, but I didn't know how to get there. They hurt me, yes, but I knew just how very unhappy that I would be until I let them back in my life. Without them, I was trapped and locked within an eternal night. Now that they had returned, now that she had returned, I could already feel the profound difference in myself.

After I was changed, things became so much sharper, so much clearer – and that included my ever-present depression in the face of my abandonment. I was alone even as I was surrounded my friends and family. As much as I knew they loved me… that love just wasn't enough.

I told Charlie, afterwards. I told him everything. How could I not? Even though he had Sue Clearwater, I knew how much it would hurt him to lose me – how much it would hurt everyone involved, if they had to pretend to mourn my death.

He was shocked, but he reacted in typical Charlie fashion. My father was a truly remarkable man. His first question, after I told him about how nothing in the world was the way that he thought it was, was if I was alright. And I was so relieved. I needed him, far more than I had thought that I did.

The Pack became my brothers of sorts, though a few of them were openly attracted to me. They never pushed me, though, knowing that I would remain faithful to my memory of Alice. Each of them knew just how hard it was for me, and my affections for them deepened as far as I was capable of in my bleak state.

Now… I was completely and utterly altered, both from the person I was when I first came to Forks and from the person I became following the Cullens' exit from my life. And that scared me. It scared me more than a great many things had in a very long time.

A discontented growl rose in my throat, as I was reminded just how very different I was. When we spoke earlier, Alice accepted the changes that our mating would bring upon her, but… I didn't tell her everything that was _unique _about me.

I had always been different from those around me, and not just because of my unusual maturity for my age. By all appearances, I was everything that I should be – physically, that is. But if I had ever been in an… _intimate _relationship with anyone, then they would have known quite quickly just how very different that I was. As things stood, only my parents, the Pack, and my family knew of my dissimilarities to others.

The proper term for my condition was 'intersexual'. To nearly all outward appearances, I was just like any other female on Earth. But each time I changed clothes, or took a shower, it was beyond obvious. Whereas every 'normal' girl had female genitalia below the waistline, I had always had male genitals.

All in all, I was fairly apprehensive about Alice finding out my secret. It wasn't so much that I thought she would disapprove or be disgusted (she wasn't that kind of person), but I had never been involved in any serious physical romantic relationship. A small shiver raced down my spine at that thought. For so long, I had hardly dared to dream of the sheer possibility of being involved with Alice, but now…

A sharp hiss escaped me as I was assailed by an unmistakable sense of imminent danger, which awakened my fury as I realized that the danger was not to me but to my mate, my Alice. I was running almost before I realized it.

I didn't have to even think about where I was going – I could feel exactly where I needed to be, and my paws nearly flew across the ground. The pain in my chest was building, as was the rage. Her name was echoing in my head like a mantra. Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice, Alice…

I snarled as the Cullen house came into view. The door opened just in time to reveal Emmett standing there with an awed look on his face. I didn't acknowledge him. Hurtling up the stairs, a hiss escaping my bared teeth when I heard the noise from the second floor – it was the sound of a back being slammed against a wall.

I didn't open the door: I broke it down. And the sight before me was fury-inducing. My vision became red-tinted as I saw Edward holding Alice – _my mate _– up against the wall, a snarl on his face. Her face held only a single spark of fear, but that was enough to send my rage soring to new heights.

There was no hesitation. In a half-second, I was on him – and in the next he was crashing through the window and to the ground below. My ire only increased as I saw realization and indignation cross his smug face. I snarled as I leapt back, my entire body tensing and the fur on my spine raising as I placed myself between the house and the disgusting bastard on the ground in front of me.

"What is this?" he whined, brushing himself off as he stood up and eyed me warily.

I smirked inwardly. Clearly he wasn't able to steal that from any of their minds. Instantly, I wrapped all of them in my shield, cutting him off from their thoughts. A growl burst from my chest when he took a shocked step forward.

"What's going on?" he hissed to the others, who I could now sense behind me – all but one. "Why can't I hear you?! And what is this?" Edward's face contorted with anger. Pathetic.

I huffed out a laugh. And then I tensed even further. Alice exited the house and came to stand at my side. Her appearance only served to present a new target for the bastard's fury, and I wasn't having any part of that.

In an instant I had shifted back into my vampire form, while at the same time moving to block his view of her and tilting my head to the side as a sarcastic smirk appeared on my lips. "What's the matter, Edward. Don't you recognize me?" I mocked him, and his expression shifted to a mix of incredulity, disgust, and suspicion. I sighed in faux disappointment. "Alright, I'll give you a hint: I've supposedly been missing for ten years?" I prompted, speaking like I would to a small child.

His face lit up and something cold and malicious awakened in his eyes. "Bella," he stated smugly, taking a step forward before scowling at me. "What do you think you're doing attacking me, love? You could have gotten hurt! Now, why don't we go inside, hmm? You have a lot of explaining to do," he scolded me, that same old arrogant, self-righteous smile on his face.

I laughed coldly. "I don't think so, Masen," I sneered at him (he didn't deserve to have any part of the Cullen name), and his eyes widened comically – he was shocked to find that his pet wasn't so obedient anymore. "How dare you attack Alice," I hissed menacingly and was gratified to see a flicker of fear in his eyes. Unfortunately, the idiot was stupid enough to think that he could challenge me. Fool.

"That's none of your business," he snarled. "Besides, if you had heard the disgusting thoughts that, that filthy waste of space was thinking about you, then you would have reacted the same way." My fury reached new heights as I saw him curl his lips up at my Alice.

I had to shift to the side a bit to calm myself once more. And then he made the biggest mistake he could possibly have made. He sprang towards my mate, and I let loose a roar as I intercepted his attack and instantly formed a shield around my imprint.

For the second time he hit the ground hard, but this time I swiftly began circling him after moving away. He made to attack and I leapt, pinning him in under a second. The little bastard was face down in the dirt, facing towards the Cullen house, and I was kneeling on his back.

I bared my teeth as I reach down and forcefully brought his head up to look in the direction of Alice and the other Cullens. "You better get this through your fucking head," I whispered intensely, glaring down at him. "You **will not **lay a single damn finger on her!" I hissed in my own signature furious undertone.

He was growling and struggling as best he could, which wasn't nearly good enough to escape my superior strength. A whimper broke through his struggles, and he hissed in frustration.

I smirked down at him, a satisfied growl erupting from my chest. "Do… you… understand… me?" I demanded, tightening my grip with each word.

Edward snarled from beneath me. "Fine, I understand," he spat venomously. "Now, let me go, damn it!"

I smiled wickedly, my ire still flowing freely. "Not just yet, Edward. You better listen and listen good. Alice **is** my mate, and you **will **respect that whether you like it or not!" I commanded him, waiting for his reluctant, muttered agreement before I finally retook my place by Alice's side, reaching back and gently taking her hand in mine.

The little prick indignantly got up, brushing himself off and putting on his best pitiful look. "Carlisle, Esme," he whined, throwing them a beseeching look. "Are you going to let her treat me like that?" he pouted.

I looked at him in disgust, not bothering to turn at look at the Cullen patriarch as he spoke. No, I was too busy subtly checking over Alice as best I could without taking my eyes off the vampire before me. As far as I could tell, she was alright, but I was still anxious.

"Edward, she was absolutely right. You had no right to attack Alice like that, no matter what you read in her mind. Don't bother trying to act hurt. You're completely fine, and it's about time you stopped acting like a spoilt child and grow up," Carlisle said sternly, and I smirked as Edward's façade broke.

"Fine!" he spat, backing up. "But I'm warning you now, you will regret not taking my side. You'll all be sorry! Don't worry though, love, I'll be back and I'll find a way to set you free of whatever spell Alice has you under," he reassured me, a crooked smile on his face and a wild glint in his eyes, just before he turned and ran off.

I watched him go, my muscles remaining tense until he left the range of my hearing. Instantly, I turned to my imprint, checking her over with my eyes. "Are you alright?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice even. Before she could answer, I found a thin spiderweb of cracks along the side of her neck and hissed, my eyes narrowing.

"Hey," Alice said softly, reaching up and gently taking my wrists in her hands. "I'm alright," she said softly, and I shook my head in silent protest. "As soon as I hunt, I'll be good as new. Although, I may just have you carry me around for a while if you're that worried," she teased me, and I couldn't help but smile. She was safe. She was okay.

"Just say the word," I offered playfully, but I was being completely serious at the same time and she knew it. She pretended to think it over, and my inner cat purred at our mate's playfulness. In an instant I had her secure in my arms, being careful to be as gentle as possible with her.

Alice yelped in surprise and held onto me, shock in her eyes as I looked down at her. She recovered quickly and chuckled, amusement glinting in her eyes. "Well, alright then," she said, laughing.

The laughter of several others rang through the air, and I suddenly remembered the presence of the other Cullens. A flicker of my previous anger returned, and I frowned at them. I think Carlisle understood my irritation because he gave me a small smile. "Why don't we all head inside?" he offered and I nodded curtly.

I followed them inside, Alice still nestled snugly in my arms. It was more than strange to be entering this house once more, but I did my best to brush off my discomfort. Clearly, though, my mate picked up on it. Alice nudged my shoulder with her head and smiled up at me when I looked at her. I returned her smile with a small one of my own. It may be uncomfortable, but she was beyond worth it.

Once everyone was seated, I reluctantly let go of Alice so that she could move to take her own seat. Much to my delight, however, she remained where she was and simply leaned a little to the side the lean back against the arm of the lounge chair that I had claimed.

I glanced at all of the Cullens, my frown returning. "Why?" I asked firmly, simply, my gaze settling on Carlisle. Everyone knew what I was asking: Why was my mate in such a situation, and why did Edward even get the chance to harm her?

He grimaced. "We didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. He rushed upstairs but we didn't really think anything of it. I was preparing to tell him about our meeting, but he was gone before I could. Then, we heard you coming and… Well, you know the rest," he said apologetically, and I mulled it over.

I nodded. I didn't like it, but that was an acceptable explanation. "I understand," I said evenly before I glanced at the little vampire in my lap, my gaze instantly softening. "Do you know what set him off?" I asked gently.

Her lips quirked up at the side and she took her bottom lip between her teeth, and I had to take a deep breath in an attempt to remain calm. She would have to find about my secret eventually, but now sure as hell wasn't the right time.

"I was thinking of you," she said, and I could stop the smile from coming to my face. It didn't stay long, though, because it was then that I noticed just how dark Alice's eyes were. I debated for a moment before I decided.

Gently, I moved Alice off my lap and stood. "Wait here, please," I requested, waiting until she nodded confusedly before I took off outside the house.

It may have been going somewhat overboard, but Alice and I were newly mated, so my every instinct was screaming at me to take care of her. So, that's what I did.

Twenty minutes later, I padded back into the clearing around the Cullen house, releasing the burden I dragged along the ground with my mouth, being careful not to pierce any part of it with my teeth. Silently, I padded up to the porch and let out a soft purr before returning to sit in front of my catch.

It took only a few seconds for the entire Cullen family to exit the house, Alice in front. A purr rumbled in my throat and I tilted my head to the side a little, motioning for her to join me. Once she had, I stepped aside so that she could examine my offering, taking note of the other Cullens' surprise.

Alice was surprised, I could tell, when she saw the unconscious cougar that lay on the ground before her. It was rather large, actually, and I felt proud of myself for catching it for her. It wasn't that I thought she shouldn't, or couldn't, hunt – not at all – it was just the good feeling that I got from taking care of my injured mate, even when I knew that she would be perfectly fine.

A soft smile crossed her face and she reached over to scratch behind my ear. I could see the thirst in her eyes and I nudged her with my head, encouraging her to drink. The other Cullens had subtly slipped back into the house, giving us some privacy.

Then, she sprang, and I had never seen anything more beautiful. It was a powerful thing, watching my mate feed and knowing that I had brought this sustenance to her. I had to fight to calm myself as I watched her. We had a lot to work through before we could even think of being that close, that intimate with one another.

After she had finished, Alice turned to me with a smile on her face. Her eyes were once more that familiar butterscotch color that I knew so well. I rose to my feet, brushing carefully against her side as I moved past her to take up the cougar's carcass and dispose of it in the forest.

She was waiting for me when I returned and I shifted back into my other form so that I could speak with her. She surprised me by reaching up to kiss me on the cheek, as she hesitantly wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you, Bella," she said quietly.

"Do you feel better now?" I murmured, carefully laying my head on top of hers. For all the things that we had to talk about and work through, this felt so right that I didn't care at the moment.

Alice sighed in my arms. "I feel much better. It's…" she hesitated before going on. "It feels so peaceful being here with you, almost like I could sleep," she admitted and I smiled.

I hummed quietly in the back of my throat. "Sorry, that's me. I'm a bit tired," I said softly, giving a fleeting thought to how she would react to this little bit of news. She froze before pulling just far enough away from me that she could look me in the eyes.

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"I can sleep," I repeated, a small smile on my face. "Not as much as a human, but I can sleep a few hours at a time when I want to," I shrugged.

Alice laughed, shaking her head. "Why am I not surprised?" she mused before she seemed to remember my other comment. "You're tired?" she asked, concern flickering in her eyes.

I opened my mouth to deny it, but I never got the chance. "You're more than welcome to stay and sleep here for a while if you like, dear," Esme's voice drifted to me from the porch and I glanced over to see that the Cullens had once again exited the house, amazement in their eyes.

I hesitated. I didn't particularly want to stay at the Cullen house, but everything within me rebelled at the idea of leaving Alice so soon after she had been attacked.

And then the little vampire took my hand and began leading me to the house. "Come on, we'll get you set up and you can sleep for a while," she said cheerfully.

"Alice," I sighed, shaking my head, a fond smile coming to my face.

Rose interrupted this time. "Don't bother arguing, Bella. I'm sure you remember just how persistent Alice and Esme can be," she said, amused at my plight.

I shook my head, chuckling under my breath. It was true, after all. Alice looked back at me, a soft smile on her face. "You took care of me, now let me take care of you," she murmured, and I couldn't refuse when she put it that way.

"Alright," I agreed quietly, obediently following my mate into the house, up the stairs, and into her room. Apparently, someone had replaced her door while I was out hunting.

She led me over to her bed and I shrugged out of my light jacket. Alice glanced at it in surprise and I noted with some amusement that she must not have noticed what I was wearing before now. I had on my favorite pair of dark denim jeans, a black tank top, and a thin black zip-up hoodie. And, of course, I was wearing a pair of black, lace-up ankle boots.

I didn't comment on her scrutiny of my apparel as I slipped off my shoes and socks before climbing into her bed. Alice paused at the edge of the bed, seeming unsure, and I smiled at her as I patted the space next to me.

Instantly, Alice was lying beneath the covers on the other side of the bed and facing me. I lay on my stomach, my head turned in her direction. A yawn escaped me and she smiled. "Good night, Bella," she murmured, and my lips twitched up at the corners.

"Good night, Alice," I muttered, slowly drifting into sleep. I felt it as she haltingly reached over and began rubbing my upped back soothingly. The last thing I heard before I fell into unconsciousness was her beautiful laugh as a lazy purr escaped me.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Phew, that's it. Sorry for the long wait everyone! Someone really ought to tell the educators of our country that we enjoy having lives outside of our classes and mountains out-of-class work. Anyway, I hope I didn't alienate too many of you with my decision regarding Bella's… uniqueness. So, let me know what you think and, as always, thanks for reading everyone!**

***Mea Catulis: My Cubs**

**Story Recommendation: The Healer by NightmareWalker. Summary: It was pure coincidence that they found her, destinies intertwined by a simple hat. They took her in when she had no one, no trust, and no hope. They never realized, as they were helping her find herself, she was healing them as well. Rated M for Sexual Situations, both Willing and Unwilling. Pairing: Bella/Alice**

**~ Katharine**


	7. Discussions

_**Irrational**_

"_Love is irrational, I reminded myself. The more you loved someone, the less sense anything made." – Bella, New Moon_

**Chapter Seven: Discussions**

_Alice_

I watched, amazed, as Bella slept peacefully. Clearly, there was a lot more that both my family and I needed to learn about how different that she was from us and the rest of the vampire population. Though, it made sense that, even though she was able to sleep at all, she couldn't sleep more than a few hours at a time. Her vampire half obviously wouldn't allow her more than that.

I let my mind drift, my eyes falling shut, and a smile crossed my face as I thought of how Bella had hunted for me just a little while ago. I had never had anyone do that for me – none of us had ever done that for our partners before, and it made me feel special that she would think to do that for me because I was injured.

Of course, that made me think of Edward. Something would certainly have to be done about my former brother because he wasn't going to simply give up, especially not now that he had seen Bella again with his own two eyes. He was obsessed, and he would be back again, without a doubt.

When he attacked me, and I saw Bella come flying into the room in her tiger form, it was one of the most amazing things that I had ever seen. Then, when we were outside and she shifted back, she moved faster than anyone I had ever seen. She was stronger than him, too. Edward struggled in her grip as much as he could, but she didn't budge an inch. It was… well, if I was being honest, it was actually very sexy. I just didn't want to think about it because I knew that we had a long way to go before we even discussed taking that step. Not to mention the fact that my family and I still needed to earn Bella's forgiveness for leaving her in the first place.

I winced at that last thought. It hurt that she was still angry at me, but I knew that I deserved it and I took comfort from the fact that, no matter how angry she was, she did still love me – I was still giddy over the fact that she had imprinted on me. It would just take time before I proved to her that I truly was sorry and that I wasn't going anywhere.

Of course, there was still one more obstacle: Bella's family. The five vampires that Bella turned were clearly not happy at all with my family, and I didn't blame them. We had hurt her terribly, and it made sick just thinking about it. Still, I hoped that I could earn their forgiveness, as well, because they were clearly very important to Bella, particularly the two young vampires who she called she had adopted as her own.

A memory came to the forefront of my mind, then. Bella and I had taken a weekend to ourselves in Seattle, and we were in our hotel room on the first night of our stay. Bella had only agreed to go on the condition that they spend several hours on both the days they were there in a store completely free of all forms of clothing, shoes, or accessories. So, in an effort to please my best friend, I had found a list of the best bookstores in Seattle and decided to visit a few with Bella. The human girl had been ecstatic, to say the least, and had even willingly agreed to let me pick out anything for her that I wanted that weekend…

_`~ Flashback ~`_

_I looked out the window, catching sight of a young woman on the balcony of her room in the hotel across the street. She was holding a little girl, just moving from the infant to the toddler stage of her childhood. She was adorable, really, and I sighed._

_Bella clearly heard me, as I saw her head tilt to the side in my peripheral vision. "What is it, Alice?" she asked softly, her bright brown eyes filled with concern when I turned to face her._

_I smiled before I shook my head hesitantly. "It's nothing, Bella," I murmured, internally cursing as a small frown curved my lips down. A wave of sadness overwhelmed me, and my eyelids slid shut._

_A warm hand rested on my cold cheek, and I hummed lowly in my throat at the pleasant sensation. "Please, Alice? Tell me what's wrong?" she requested, and I reopened my eyes to be met with her worried expression._

_Smiling a little, I nodded in compliance. Although, I wasn't quite sure how to tell my friend what was bothering me. But the encouraging look in her eyes spurred me onwards. "Well…" I began, pausing. "I just… I glanced out the window, and I saw this woman with her little girl and…" I trailed off helplessly._

_Knowledge and understanding flashed in Bella's brown orbs, and she leant forward to wrap me in her soothing embrace, which I welcomed gladly. "It's alright, Alice. Just say whatever you need to," she comforted me, the soft cadences of her voice calming me._

_I sighed quietly as Bella's hand began to rub gently across the top of my back. "You know that I don't remember anything from my human life, and I'm happy with this life. I love being a vampire and I've never really regretted being changed, but… I still wonder about some human things, and even if I can't remember wanting it in my human life… I still want it…" My voice began to grow thicker with emotion, my eyes flooding with tears that would never fall. I didn't have to elaborate or explain. Bella knew me better than anyone, so she would understand._

"_Shh…" she hushed me gently. "I can't say that I understand because I don't. Well, to a certain extent I don't," she muttered, and I was curious at the reluctance I heard in her voice. "I'm sorry that it's not possible for you, Ali. If there was anything that I could do to change it, you know I would. You would be the most amazing mother, Alice, I know it," she whispered lovingly, and I smiled automatically upon hearing the emotion in her voice. I knew, instantly, that no one else would ever be able to soothe me the way that Bella did… But then I thought of something as I calmed down._

"_What… what did you mean before, when you said that you didn't understand 'to a certain extent'?" I asked hesitantly as a horrifying realization struck me. For the first time, it occurred to me that Bella had never had her period since the day she arrived in Forks, and she was obviously not pregnant, so… "Bella, you – you can have children, right?"_

"_I…" she trailed off, running a hand through her hair. "I can't really explain it, Alice. I mean, I could, but I've never actually told anyone and I don't think that I can… It's just – it's difficult. I'm… different, Alice. I know what you're thinking, and I'm a little surprised none of you asked me about it before, but it's not exactly what you think," she struggled to explain, and I grew more curious and confused with every word that spilled almost frantically from her lips. She looked at me with a helpless look in her eyes and I smiled in reassurance._

"_It's alright, Bella. You don't have to explain today. I don't understand what you're trying to tell me, but it's okay. I don't have to know. But… promise me that you'll think about telling me one day?" I requested, looking into her deep brown eyes. I wanted her to be able to talk to me about anything, and I knew that she trusted me so I wasn't hurt that she couldn't tell me._

"_I promise, Alice," Bella muttered, leaning forward to wrap me in her arms once more, cocooning me in the warmth radiating from her body. It was an amazingly pleasant sensation, and I sighed into her embrace. "I will tell you one day, Ali. Just give me some time, okay?" I nodded into her shoulder, a smile forming on my lips. One day… one day, she would tell me, and for once I didn't mind waiting to see what it was…_

_`~ End Flashback ~`_

I smiled, remembering how comforting it had been to have Bella hold me in her arms, while I confessed to one of my most secret desires – which I had kept hidden from even Edward and Jasper. A frown settled on my face as I remembered that I never did get the chance to hear what it was that Bella promised to tell me, eventually… But then it was wiped away as my eyes widened. A snippet of our conversation earlier flashed to the front of my mind:

_I have the ability to allow female vampires to become pregnant…_

My mouth dropped open, and a shock seemed to travel through my body. How had I not realized it before? Of course, I had been completely focused on my nerves about whether I could possibly have a chance of being with Bella, but… now the news was finally sinking in: Bella could get me pregnant, somehow. I could finally have the child I'd always longed for – once our relationship stable and she could honestly say that she was no longer mad at me.

I became curious once more, as I tried to get ahold of my excitement and euphoria over the news. But then my enthusiasm wavered as I began to wonder just how she had discovered this ability. I knew that she hadn't loved anyone but me, but… I had to wonder if Bella had a child with another vampire. I wouldn't fault her for it – I wasn't here, after all – but I did very much enjoy the idea of being the only one to be the mother of her children.

Suddenly, a purr erupted from the form next to me on the bed, and instantly my attention was fully focused on my mate. I spared a second to glance at the clock and realized that it had already been two and a half hours since she had fallen asleep. I smiled as she stretched next to me before her eyes blinked open, her mouth open and revealing her sharp, white teeth – as well as her slightly elongated canines. She was so beautiful that I could almost feel my heart pounding in my chest once more.

Bella turned to face me and a small smile slipped across her face as our eyes met. "Hello," she murmured, her voice a little husky from sleep. It was so incredibly sexy…

I cleared my throat quietly. "Hi," I responded, a smile stretching across my face. "Would you like to go back downstairs and join the others now? I'm sure we have a lot to discuss, if you don't need to get back to your family right away," I told her, a question in my voice at the end.

She shook her head. "No, I sent them hunting when I returned earlier. We can finish our discussion now," she agreed, rising to pull her shoes and jacket back on before following me out the door and down into the living room, where my family was waiting for us.

Bella sat back down in the armchair that we were in before, but I wasn't sure if it would be okay to just sit down across her lap again, so I merely perched on one of the arms of the chair this time.

Carlisle smiled at us. "Now, I believe that the first issue we need to discuss is Edward," he began, his smile becoming a frown. "He will clearly be returning to once again attempt to claim you, Bella, as his mate and possibly to kill Alice, as well." Carlisle's frown deepened, and I could see the mixture of pain and fury in his eyes.

A low growl could be heard rumbling in Bella's chest when Carlisle spoke of Edward's intention to kill me, and I felt so incredibly happy to hear that small, physical token of her love for me. "If he comes within a hundred feet of Alice without her permission, then he may consider his life forfeit," Bella stated flatly, no room for argument in her tone. "If he attempts to attack anyone – human, shape shifter, or vampire alike – in Forks or La Push, then I will not hesitate to end his life. The only reason that I allowed him to leave tonight was because I had to know if he had hurt Alice," she said, and I could hear every ounce of the hatred and anger that seemed to drip from every word.

Automatically, I reached for her hand and gave her a small smile. "I'm fine now," I murmured, and her lips twitched up at the corners as she gave me a nod in return.

"As much as it pains me to say it, I agree with you, Bella," Esme said softly. "Edward seems to have lost his grip on reality, and I won't allow him to harm my family."

My father nodded. "We will certainly all keep our eyes open for Edward's return. Beyond that, we would very much like the opportunity to get to know both your family and the Pack better, Bella," he said kindly. "We also want you to know that we are all so very sorry for abandoning you in the first place. It was wrong of us, especially when we had always told you to consider yourself one of the family. We hurt you needlessly, but we want you to know that it was done out of love, however misguided our intentions were," he apologized sincerely.

I watched Bella closely, wondering how she would respond to my family's apology. Her eyes seemed to turn a slightly darker silver-blue than before, and she took a deep breath. "I appreciate the thought, but I can't honestly say that I forgive all of you – not yet, at least. Excluding Kiara, who I met just today, all of you willingly participated in Edward's ridiculous plan and left me behind. So, I am angry, but I can say that I never stopped loving any of you. I will forgive you, but you have to give me time before we can get there," she finished, meeting each of my parents' and siblings' eyes before smiling at my newest sister. "I do look forward to getting to know you, as well, Kiara – I'm sure that you must have some interesting stories from your time before you met the Cullen family."

Kiara returned her smile with a grin. "I look forward to it, too, and I'd love to get to know more about you. I never had the chance to learn much about you since Edward was so insistent about no one ever mentioning your name," she frowned irritably.

Just then, Emmett interrupted eagerly. "Hey, Bella!" he said excitedly.

"Yes, Emmett?" she raised one eyebrow at him.

"Will you wrestle with me sometime? No one but Jazz will play with me anymore," he pouted, and we all chuckled at his childish antics.

Bella smirked. "I will, but you may not enjoy the outcome so much," she muttered, and I was reminded of how easy it was for her to pin Edward even when he struggled as hard as he could.

In the second that followed her statement, I saw Esme and Rosalie exchange a glance before Rose began to speak. "Bella… I know that you said that we could talk more about it later, but… Well, I just can't help myself," she confessed and Bella gave her a knowing look. I quickly caught on as I realized that Rose and Esme wanted to know more about how Bella could allow them to have children.

"Will you tell us more about how you can make it possible for female vampires to have children?" Esme requested, an intense need shining in her topaz eyes.

Bella sighed quietly by my side, seeming to think about it for a moment before she nodded in compliance. "It's simple for the most part, though Alice may not enjoy a part of it and I'm not exactly looking forward to it myself," she muttered, a small frown on her face, which caused worry to stir in me. Why wouldn't I like it? "To begin with, you should know that male vampires are capable of fathering children with humans." She paused when all of our eyes widened in shock, raising one hand to prevent any interruptions. "Yes, it's true. There are perhaps five or six of these children in the world. They are typically referred to as hybrids or, occasionally, dhampirs. They have many of the characteristics of a vampire, although their hearts beat and they are capable of surviving off of both human food and blood, though they seem to prefer the latter."

Carlisle's voice was dazed. "I had no idea," he muttered in shock.

"Not many do," Bella pointed out. "But the children that are born of two vampires are… unique, to say the least, but I'll explain more of that in a moment. In order for me to make this possible, there are a few steps that must be taken to be successful. First, the pair that wishes to have a child has to be a truly mated couple, which clearly won't be an issue in this case. Second, and this is the unfortunate part, I have to kiss the female of the pair – "

That was as far as Bella got before she was cut off by the sound of three loud growls, mine being one of them. I had reacted instinctively, but I quickly calmed myself as I remembered that this was my family and they already had their mates. They weren't going to steal her from me, and she wasn't capable of wanting anyone other than me. I quickly glanced at Bella, only to be met with her concerned eyes. Smiling, I nodded slightly to let her know that I was okay with it.

Two loud slaps echoed in the room, then. It was normal for Rose to slap Emmett on the back of the head at least five times a day, but I was stunned to see Carlisle holding the back of his head and pouting… until the surprise wore off and I started laughing loudly at his predicament.

"Calm down!" Rose scolded her mate. "Bella's not going to steal me from you, and I would never leave you, anyway. She has Alice, and you know that I only ever want you," she scowled at him, but I could see the love in her eyes.

Emmett nodded, a little bit of shame in his eyes. "Sorry, Rose, Bells," he apologized before seeming to become more himself. "I don't know why on Earth I reacted that way – I always wanted to know what it would be like to see my Rosie with another girl," he said cheekily, and my sister rolled her eyes at him.

Carlisle took that as his cue to apologize, too. "I am sorry, dear. I don't know quite what came over me," he confessed. "I know perfectly well that it wouldn't mean anything, and I have no objections to it, if it means that you can finally have what you've dreamt of for so very long," he said lovingly.

Esme smiled at him. "It's alright, Carlisle. I know that you didn't mean any harm," she assured him, amusement flickering in her eyes as he had been watching her worriedly, seeming to emulate one of Emmett's signature looks without even realizing it.

I smiled when Rose and Esme looked at me questioningly. "I'm fine. It was more of an instinct than anything. I know that nothing will come of it, and I want the two of you to finally have this," I said sincerely, before gesturing for Bella to continue.

She smiled at me, something seeming to be hidden in her eyes, before going on. "The kiss allows me to… Well, the easiest way to explain it is that it passes something of my essence to the intended mother, allowing the necessary changes to take place. After that, in a way for the same reason of allowing something of myself to be present in the father, I have to bite into the jugular vein of the male vampire," she said, glancing at Emmett and Carlisle, who grimaced slightly but nodded without protest. "As both of those are done, I… I can't quite explain it. I just seem to _know _that the pregnancy will be possible, almost as if I'm willing it to be that's done, the couple is encouraged to mate as many times as possible in the next twenty-four hours following the bite given to the father vampire. If the attempt was successful, then it should be obvious over the two weeks as the changes begin taking place," Bella finished, leaving all of us staring at her in amazement.

There was silence for an immeasurable moment as we all allowed this new information to sink in. Jasper was the first to recover. "Changes?" he asked curiously, referring to Bella's last statement.

She nodded. "The body of a vampire is incapable of birthing children, which is why, though perfectly healthy in every way, female vampire are incapable of producing children in their natural state. Something about the process that I described allows the mother's body to change into something close to that of the hybrids, or dhampirs, that I told you about. This begins happening almost immediately and becomes more noticeable over the first two weeks before becoming completed towards the end of the first month of pregnancy," Bella explained, and my eyes widened. I was astounded that such a thing was possible. I had never heard of anything even remotely similar.

Kiara's eyes flashed with intrigue. "Is the change permanent?" she asked curiously.

Bella shook her head. "No, following the time of the baby's birth, the mother's body reverts to its original state over the course of approximately a month, give or take a few days. There are no visible changes and, unless you knew previously or were told, you would have no clue that the vampire in question had ever undergone the process."

"Incredible," Carlisle exclaimed happily, his eyes gleaming with fascination. "Are there any requirements as to when the process is begun? Is the child effected by the presence of your own certainly unique DNA? How many times have you done this before? Has there ever been a case, or cases, where you were unsuccessful?" The questions flew from his mouth rapid-fire before he finally stopped, eyeing Bella with unrestrained eagerness.

My mate just chuckled at his fervor. "As with a human pregnancy, it's best if I wait to begin the process when the female vampires… The best way to explain it is to compare it to ovulation in humans. I'm not entirely sure how, but the kiss that takes place between myself and the mother allows me to somehow sense when the prime time to begin will be. From previous experience, I've learned that the only way that the children are effected by my… signature, shall we say, within the parents is how they have small amounts of my own silver-blue eye color mixed in with their own. I've actually done this seven times before. And, no, there have been no unsuccessful attempts as of yet," she answered each of my father's questions.

Rose and Esme were nearly bouncing in their seats at this point, and Kiara had a speculative gleam in her eyes. I didn't know how she felt about children, but I could see that she would definitely be considering it now that the option was there. Jasper, too, looked quite interested – he wouldn't object at all if Kiara wanted a child, seeing as he was actually pretty fond of them himself. Emmett and Carlisle seemed to have accepted the inevitability of being bitten, while they had already gotten over Bella having to kiss their mates. And I…

I was conflicted. Bella's gift – this one, in particular – sounded incredible, but I was worried, too. Neither Bella nor I was a male vampire, and even if it did occur to me to simply have sex with another vampire – which, of course, I would never consider much less actually do – it still wouldn't be possible considering Bella stated that the male and female had to be a truly mated pair. All in all, I was worried, but just as I began to be overwhelmed by my fear and sadness, Bella caught my eye.

"Please relax, Alice," she begged, speaking quietly enough that only I could hear her. "I can't tell you how right now, but it is possible for us. I'll explain eventually, but I just… I can't. We can have a baby someday, though, Alice. I promise you," she vowed firmly and I wanted to believe her, but it wasn't enough to calm me. I was still just barely keeping it together as wave after wave of heartbreaking sadness hit me, and she could see that.

"Bella…" I trailed off, biting my tongue. She seemed to sense my desperation because I saw resignation enter her gaze and she sighed quietly before nodding, her eyes becoming tense and nervous.

"We can talk more tomorrow, but I believe I should be going now. Alice, will you join me on a short hunt? I'm feeling a little thirsty," she invited me, and I recognized that this was her way of getting us out of the house to talk. I nodded immediately, holding myself together enough to keep from alerting my family to my distress. "Would it be alright if I returned at around noon?" she asked Esme, who beamed and nodded at her.

"Of course, dear. You're always welcome here, as well as any of your family," my mother smiled warmly, and the rest of the family called out goodbyes as I followed Bella out of the house and we began to run.

As we ran through the forest, moving away from the hearing range of my family, all I could do was worry about if Bella and I could really have a baby together. She told me that it was, but her own logic was working against us. I wanted so badly to believe her and I didn't think that she would lie to me, but it just didn't seem to be possible…

We finally stopped in a small clearing that I recognized from my hunts before. I watched, drawn from my panic and encroaching depression just slightly, as Bella began to pace from one side of the small space to the other. She was obviously nervous about something, and I moved to comfort her. "Bella," I called her name softly as I placed my hands on her upper arms. "Calm down, what's wrong?" I asked, worried.

Instantly, she began to relax, although her eyes still showed just how anxious she was about whatever she was going to tell me. "Alice…" she sighed, running a hand through her long, onyx hair. "Do you remember our weekend shopping in Seattle when I was human?" she questioned, and I froze in shock as she mentioned the very days I had been reminiscing about a short time ago. I nodded dazedly, although my surprise only grew with her next words. "Do you remember what I said to you when we talked, that first night, and I told you that I was different?"

Realization sparked in my then. "You're going to tell me what you meant?" I asked, my eyes widening. Since that day, I had wondered what it was that she would eventually tell me, but I never would have thought that she would tell me so soon after we saw each other again considering how my family and I left her.

Bella nodded. "I told you that I didn't understand, to an extent, what it was like for you to be unable to have children?" I waited silently, tilting my head to the side a little as I listened intently. "Well, you obviously know that I never had a period when I was in Forks, but what you may not know is that I never had one – not ever."

I frowned as that sank in. I had asked that day if Bella could have children, but she never really answered me. But I had studied the medical field, although I never practiced it, and I knew that females had to have their period in order to become pregnant.

Bella obviously saw my thoughts on my face because she shook her head. "Alice, I… I can have children, the same way that I could when I was human," she told me, her words speeding up a little from her nervousness.

My mouth opened but no sound came out at first. "I… don't understand," I confessed. "How could you have children if you never got your period?"

Bella murmured something to herself that was too low for me to hear before she clenched and unclenched her jaw and took a deep breath, her eyes watching me anxiously. "Alice… I… Well, first of all, I lied when I told you that my full name was Isabella Marie Swan. That's just what I tell everyone. My middle name is really Matthew." Matthew? Before I could ask, she went on. "Have you ever heard of the term 'intersex'?"

The moment the word left her lips, a memory came rushing to the front of my mind. _**Intersex**__: An individual displaying sexual characteristics of both male and female._

My eyes flew wide open in shock, when it occurred to me then. There was a very good reason that Bella never got her period – she wasn't able to. It also answered my unasked question of why, exactly, Bella's middle name was Matthew – her parents had probably planned to name their 'son' that. Of course, it also explained perfectly how she could semi-understand my feelings on being unable to give birth to a child. Strictly speaking, neither could she, but at the same time she was able to… father, for lack of a better term, a child… which was exactly how we would still be able to have a baby together, just like she had tried to explain to me before.

I blinked and it finally occurred to me that Bella was staring at me intently, nervousness clear in her eyes as she watched me. My eyes softened as I looked into her eyes and smiled to reassure her. I didn't have a problem with this. In fact, I was now even more curious as to what our first time together would be like. I couldn't focus on that, though. "It's okay, Bella. I don't care. I was just surprised," I soothed her, and she seemed to believe me because she started to relax. I smiled. "I love you, and that means that I love everything about you, no matter what it is, okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "I wasn't exactly afraid that you wouldn't accept me, it's just… I've never actually told someone about this before, not to mention I wasn't exactly prepared to tell you today," Bella explained, and I smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry about that. I just kind of panicked when I started thinking that we wouldn't be able to have a baby together," I said, before tilting my head to the side curiously. "How will that work, anyway? Will it be different for us than the others?" I wondered aloud.

Bella chuckled, seeming at ease once more, and shook her head back and forth. "No, it won't be the same for us. Because I'm intersex and because of my being half-vampire and half-shape shifter, I can get you pregnant without having to use my ability."

I smiled widely at that before something struck me that made pain flare up in my chest. "How… how do you know that?" I managed to grit out. How could she know that… unless she had sex with another vampire and got her pregnant?

Instantly, Bella seemed to understand my real question and she shook her head frantically. "No, Alice. I'll explain it sometime, but it's not at all what you think. I've never had a baby with anyone – I meant what I said when I was human: I was a virgin then, and I'm still one now," she said strongly, looking straight into my eyes. I could see that she was telling the truth, and I relaxed.

A wide smile began forming on my face at the thought of being Bella's first and only lover, and I couldn't contain my joy at that fact. "Okay," I said simply, before I looked at her shyly. "So, now that I know that it's possible… Do you want kids with me someday?" I asked hesitantly, biting down on my bottom lip.

Her eyes softened and she reached out to link our hands together. "I would love to have a baby with you once we get to that point in our relationship, but we both know that we're still a long way from reaching that point," she said soothingly, her silver-shadowed blue eyes watching me with an inscrutable gleam in them, almost like she was trying to figure something out. I didn't ask because I knew how hard it must be for her to have to deal with all of this – the conflict between being angry with me for leaving and the joy at my return and our bond as mates, or imprinter and imprint.

"I know," I reassured her quietly. I would wait a hundred years, a thousand, an eternity if that's what it took for her to fully trust me again. "Now, did you really need to hunt, or was that all just an excuse for us to have some time alone to talk?" I wondered aloud.

Bella shook her head. "I don't need to hunt right now, not for another week or so, at least. I should be going, though. I'd like to have some time to think about all of this before I return later. Would it be alright if I went with you back to the clearing that your house sits in? I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone when Edward is an unknown factor at the moment," she frowned deeply at the mention of my bastard of an ex-brother.

Immediately, I agreed, knowing that I would never turn down the opportunity to spend more time with my mate. We were silent as we ran in the direction of my home, Bella slowing her speed to match mine. It was never uncomfortable, though. Now that she had soothed my fears at our being unable to have a child of our own, the only thing that plagued my thoughts was my guilt over having abandoned Bella and my determination to win and deserve her full trust and forgiveness.

I slowed and stopped at the very edge of the clearing, turning to face my beautiful mate. "So, I'll see you at noon?" I asked, reluctant to let her go.

Bella smiled a little. "I'll be here. I'll know if you're in trouble, but if you happen to need me for anything, here's my contact information," she told me, pulling out a card from her back pocket. I looked at it in surprise and she chuckled. "It was Eric's idea. He thought it would be funny, and it was harmless enough so…" she trailed off with a shrug, and I looked down at the all black business card in my hands.

The writing was all in a beautiful white script, and there was a picture of two crescents outlined in white and linked together at the top of the card. Along the edges, in red ink, there was a list of all of Bella's family members names in small lettering. The center of the card read:

_The Swan Coven-Family_

_Isabella Swan_

_Vampire/Shape Shifter_

_(###) ### – ####_

A smile broke out on my face and I chuckled quietly. "Well, thank you. Goodnight, Bella," I smiled, reaching out to hug her almost without a second of thought, it was so natural for me to do so.

"Goodnight, Alice," she murmured before turning and seeming to almost melt into the shadows as I stood there watching in awe, before I turned to go into the house.

As I glanced up at the night sky, seeing the thousands of stars shining from above in the surprisingly clear sky, I couldn't help but feel like things were going to be okay. Bella would forgive me, eventually, and we would be just fine. I wasn't sure what would happen in the future, but, for once, I was content not to know. Because as long as I had Bella, I didn't need to know the future – all I really needed was our present.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the wait, everyone. I was going to update several days ago, but I started having computer troubles and I had to rewrite the entire chapter from scratch. Now, I didn't originally plan to have Bella's secret revealed so quickly, but it just sort of worked out that way as I was writing. As a treat for you all considering you had to wait longer for the chapter, I decided to make this one an extra-long chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks for reading everyone!**

**Story Recommendation: Tossing Stones by Princess Alexandria. Summary: 35 year old Bella Swan was sick and tired of people grinning at her name and asking about 'her Edward.' She read the books, like anyone else, but she still felt it was too bad she couldn't sue that writer for using her name. When she woke as a 15 year old Bella, with a mother called Renee, that was weird enough, but things were only going to get stranger. Bella Swan rewrites the story that annoyed her from the inside. Bella/Rosalie and Rosalie/Emmett.**

**~ Katharine **


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